The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation

¶ 01 (a)

¶ 02 (i) Extent of land alienated and number of beneficiary families without clear title deeds:

¶ 03 - System B: 40,617 acres | 2,283 families - System C: 64,698 acres | 2,381 families - System D: 4,973 acres | 1,699 families - System H: 62,418 acres | 8,188 families - System L: 14,496 acres | 3,345 families - Moragahakanda: 21,202 acres | 3,256 families - Huruluwewa: 15,123 acres | 746 families - Victoria: 6,997 acres | 238 families - Walawa: 65,438 acres | 19,234 families - Rambakenoya: 8,328 acres | 4,047 families - Total: 304,290 acres | 45,417 families

¶ 04 (ii) In the allocation of lands by the Mahaweli Authority for relevant activities, when lands that have already been alienated upon obtaining land use plan approval are being re-allocated taking into consideration current requirements, such allocation is executed subject to the approval of the Land Use Planning Division and the recommendations of other line agencies, i.e. the Central Environmental Authority, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Department of Forest Conservation, the Ministry of Industries, the Department of Archaeology and the Sustainable Energy Authority.

¶ 05 (iii) Yes.

¶ 06 (iv) In instances where irregular land acquisitions and secondary transactions have occurred on Mahaweli lands in contravention of the provisions of the relevant Acts and Regulations, such actions can be invalidated on the grounds of non-compliance with the conditions specified in the legal alienation documents. Action is taken in this regard based on the provisions enacted under the Land Development Ordinance and the State Lands Ordinance and in accordance with the circular instructions issued concurrently therewith.

¶ 07 (v) For the management and digitalization of State lands located within the jurisdiction of the Mahaweli Authority, an information system named “e-SLIM Mahaweli” has been established and is being maintained on the Lanka Government Cloud (LCG2), operated by ICTA. The system functions as a database containing geographical information on land parcels within the Mahaweli systems and enables the issuance of deeds and permits through the platform.

¶ 08 (vi) Ownership of the land could be granted to individuals currently occupying with long-term residency under the prevailing legal provisions. Holding Land Kachcheri can be cited as an example in this regard.

¶ 09 (vii) Extent of land unutilized for efficient economic activities:

¶ 10 - System B: 4,343 acres - System C: 2,783 acres - System D: 392 acres - System H: - - System L: 2,043 acres - Moragahakanda: 43 acres - Huruluwewa: 44 acres - Victoria: 825 acres - Walawa: 522 acres - Rambakenoya: - - Total: 10,995 acres

¶ 11 (viii) The economic value of the primary sectors yielding direct economic benefits from the Mahaweli Project—comprising electricity generated by hydropower stations belonging to the Mahaweli system, cultivation of agricultural crops (paddy, maize, soya, big onions and other subsidiary crops) carried out within the Mahaweli systems to ensure national food security, livestock production (liquid milk, eggs and poultry), and freshwater fisheries production, along with land lease and other revenues—can be presented as follows (gross value, Rs. Mn.):

¶ 12 - 2014: Paddy 30,152 | Intercrops 27,030 | Freshwater Fisheries 6,095 | Hydropower Generation 29,324 | Total 92,601 - 2015: 47,971 | 19,875 | 11,139 | 43,433 | 122,418 - 2016: 31,890 | 21,531 | 13,037 | 26,914 | 93,372 - 2017: 24,838 | 30,813 | 13,211 | 18,558 | 87,419 - 2018: 44,460 | 22,063 | 12,774 | 41,467 | 120,762 - 2019: 43,154 | 25,979 | 9,651 | 27,058 | 105,843 - 2020: 50,120 | 31,692 | 8,537 | 29,779 | 120,128 - 2021: 63,785 | 40,152 | 13,758 | 45,083 | 162,777 - 2022: 75,542 | 70,373 | 22,345 | 54,076 | 222,336 - 2023: 95,700 | 73,205 | 36,484 | 88,038 | 292,049 - 2024: 118,469 | 74,231 | 23,901 | 90,760 | 305,975

¶ 13 In addition, the costs and benefits of major dam and reservoir management, river basin management, conservation of upper catchment and downstream environments, land development and management, socio-economic development of Mahaweli settlers, and solar energy generation, as well as indirect socio-economic and environmental benefits (employment generation, flood control, biodiversity protection, reduction of carbon emissions and of fossil fuel combustion), are not included herein.

¶ 14 (b) Does not arise in view of the answers given above.