Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan
Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan raised questions under Standing Order 27(2) regarding the construction of the “Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya” on privately owned land in Thyiddy, Valikamam North, Jaffna. He asked whether the Government had acquired the land under the Land Acquisition Act, sought details of any Gazette notification and stated public purpose, and questioned the legality of using acquired land for a different purpose. He requested the Government’s response on returning the land to the owners who have been protesting for its release.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 27(2) today, 06.03.2025, I raise the following questions to the Hon. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs:
¶ 02 1. Is the Hon. Minister aware that in the village of Thyiddy in the Valikamam North Divisional Secretariat Division, Jaffna, a Vihara named “Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya” has been constructed within lands belonging to the public?
¶ 03 2. Is the Minister aware that the owners of the 20 perches on which the Vihara has been built have been peacefully protesting for a long time, requesting the removal of the Vihara and the return of their lands?
¶ 04 3. Have the lands on which this Vihara stands already been acquired by the Government under the Land Acquisition Act No. 9 of 1950, as amended?
¶ 05 4. If so, will the Minister inform this House of the Gazette notification number and for what public purpose the acquisition was made?
¶ 06 5. Is the Minister aware that land acquired for one purpose cannot legally be used for another? If the land in question was not acquired for the purpose of establishing a Vihara, does the Minister accept that constructing a Vihara there is unlawful?
¶ 07 6. What is the Government’s solution for the landowners who have been struggling to have their land returned?
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 6 March 2025 ·No. 1742798688089503 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 6 March 2025. No. 1742798688089503. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/25379