The Hon. Aravinda Senarath

¶ 01 It was the former Government that promised to grant deeds for electoral gain. However, what our country needs is not an ad hoc process of issuing deeds tied to election promises, but a goal-oriented programme that advances national development and meets citizens’ needs.

¶ 02 The former Government proposed, targeting the 2024 Presidential Election, to issue “Urumaya” deeds to 2 million people. Yet, even after considering our country’s practical capacity and that of the relevant departments, questions remain whether that proposal was adopted following proper study. We do not want to merely fulfil an election promise; we want to solve people’s problems. Therefore, we are already following a structured process: identifying permit holders, regularizing the transfer of such permits, and conferring freehold where appropriate. We need to secure citizens’ land rights through a clear plan, and our Government is acting accordingly. In contrast to the former Government’s unstructured, vote-targeted promise to issue 2.08 million deeds, including to 1.48 million public servants, we have introduced a proper, methodical framework. As Opposition Members demand, we have formulated a programme to make the people’s dream a reality.

¶ 03 So far, according to available information, approximately 49,402 deeds have been issued through the Land Commissioner General’s Department and through Mahaweli. The remaining deeds, duly prepared, have been referred to the respective District Secretariats for issuance through the Divisional Secretariats. Therefore, we have already taken steps, as a responsible Government, to provide the answer to the question raised.

¶ 04 Within the proposal brought forward by the Hon. Member, various criteria have been introduced to confine this exercise. Hon. Presiding Member, in our country, land permits have historically been issued through different measures. Sometimes, rather than the person residing on the land, someone 25–30 kilometres away has been given the permit. Hence there are issues around the issuance of permits which need to be resolved. The Government has no right to push citizens into another cycle of crisis. Therefore, we are setting certain limits, and after a proper, structured review, we will issue deeds—granting ownership—accordingly.

¶ 05 Some politicians have obtained land through influence and arranged permits for them—within Chena cultivation lands, Mahaweli lands, forest conservation lands, and even within road reservations. We continue to encounter many such instances. Therefore, when issuing a deed to a given land, there must be a proper verification process. As a Government, under the “Gihimikama” deed programme, we are conducting field inspections, identifying issues, and granting ownership only to land parcels where issues have been resolved.

¶ 06 Parts of the proposal appear based on past assumptions, which could cause delays once embedded as criteria. However, even as we introduce criteria, we are implementing them—strengthening and expediting the mechanism to resolve land issues and grant the necessary rights to citizens. These criteria target fundamental national priorities that require a fresh look; the Government has no interest in delaying deed issuance. We have now accelerated the work. By 2026, we will be able to grant the highest number of titles in Sri Lanka.

¶ 07 Your allotted time is over, Hon. Minister.