The Hon. K. Kader Masthan

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for permitting a question under Standing Order 27(2) to the Minister of Environment, Hon. (Dr.) Damitha Pattabendige.

¶ 02 Contrary to land laws, the Departments of Wildlife Conservation and Forests have issued arbitrary Gazette notifications. For years, displaced persons’ lands have been encroached upon, and even without Gazettes, these Departments have demarcated lands. When people attempt cultivation, they are arrested and produced in court, often without proper fact-finding, harming livelihoods. Hundreds of tanks and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmlands are unusable. I ask:

¶ 03 1) In Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu, from 2009 to date, provide details of lands declared as forests, wildlife, protected or antiquities reserves by special Gazettes: Gazette numbers, extents and purposes; and the extent of private lands included.

¶ 04 2) How many families are affected due to such declarations?

¶ 05 3) Are you aware of demarcations done without Gazettes? Will you release such lands, or provide alternative lands or compensation?

¶ 06 4) Were scientific surveys or public consultations conducted before reserving traditionally used lands for farming, livestock and fishing?

¶ 07 5) If so, please table; if not, why?

¶ 08 6) Are you aware of high-level discussions on irregular land acquisitions? On 05.01.2025, under the former President, a special Vanni coordination meeting recommended, via District Committees of officials and public representatives, the release of 22,043 ha in Vavuniya, 25,183 ha in Mannar, and 20,513 ha in Mullaitivu to a National Committee. What has been released accordingly?

¶ 09 7) Are you aware that some lands recommended for release in these districts have not been released at all? Why not?

¶ 10 Finally, please expedite release and Gazette the lands.