10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna

Jathika Jana balawegaya· Anuradhapura· 20 May 2025 ·Oral question: Oral Questions: Irrigation Reservoirs and Land Settlement (Q.578/2025 and Q.3519/2025)

Corruption & Governance ReformLand & Housing
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Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna asked what action would be taken against alleged political acquisition of reservoir reservation lands in Anuradhapura, particularly around Nuwara Weva. He cited specific lands allegedly held under the names of relatives of former Ministers S. M. Chandrasena and Shehan Semasinghe, while noting that many ordinary people still lack clear land titles or face difficulties in obtaining land.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 My first supplementary: Land is a precious asset, yet many people have not received clear title for long. Likewise, reservoirs are national assets, but many reservations have been lost. In Anuradhapura, the heart of the city is its tanks; Nuwara Weva is key. We know some politicians have acquired reservation land. Specifically, land has been taken under names like Nandamuni Arachchi’s Shanthi, and under the former Minister S. M. Chandrasena’s wife, with Jayabhoomi deed No. ANU/MIHI/PR/3307, 1 acre, 1 rood, 13.6 perches, and another block under the same name. Also lands under former State Minister Shehan Semasinghe and his wife. What action will you take regarding politicians grabbing reservation lands, while ordinary people lack land and face issues when applying?

Provenance

Source
Hansard, Tuesday, 20 May 2025 ·No. 1749010823009957 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 May 2025. No. 1749010823009957. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/25798