The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answers are as follows:

¶ 02 (a) (i) Yes. (ii) The Additional Assistant Settlement Officer John Still of the Department of Land Title Settlement, by report dated 06 January 1910, declared settlement for Humbuluwa village relating to Plan No. B.S.P.P. 455. According to a sannasa granted by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe in the 18th century, the entire Humbuluwa village was declared property of the Humbuluwa Viharaya. (iv) Yes, it has been registered under Ordinance No. 06 of 1866 titled “An Ordinance to Compel the Registration of Sannas, Old Deeds and Other Instruments of Title.” (v) It was registered on 02 May 1893 under the Kurunegala Land Registrar. The extent is approximately sixteen amunas of sowing area — about 832 acres. (vi) With Ministerial approval on 30.12.2013 and gazetted on 17.01.2014. (vii) The Trustee of Humbuluwa Raja Maha Viharaya, Ven. Urulaewatte Dhammakitti Thero, has initiated legal action regarding land titles of the temple. As per the judgment in case No. 7913/Land, lands possessed by Sanjeewa Bandara Andagala, Priyangani Andagala Kehelwala, and Amitha Bandara Andagala in Humbuluwa village have been declared as belonging to Humbuluwa Raja Maha Viharaya. Appeals against that decision have been filed by the defendants in the Civil Appellate High Court of Kurunegala under Case Nos. NWP/HCCA/KUR 85/2022/F and NWP/HCCA/KUR 86/2022/F. Additionally, challenging title, an appeal is pending in the Court of Appeal under Case No. CAW/628/2024. Due to these proceedings, disputes regarding land ownership have arisen among the people of the village. This is the key fact. (viii) Villagers have been informed on several occasions. (ix) No. (x) By letter No. MBRCA/01/01/39 dated 2023.06.09, the Secretary to the Ministry appointed a committee chaired by the Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs, with the Department of Archaeology and the National Archives also included. That committee inspected the copper sannasa deposited at Asgiriya Viharaya, Kandy, and the Department of Archaeology has provided a report confirming the archaeological value of the relevant sannasa pertaining to Humbuluwa Viharaya. Since related cases are pending, it has been informed by letter dated 2023.10.17 of the Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs to the Divisional Secretary, Alawwa, that further action should be taken after rights are established by court.

¶ 03 (b) Not applicable.