The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and Leader of the House of Parliament

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, the answer to the question raised on 06.08.2025 under Standing Order 27(2) by the Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan is as follows.

¶ 02 01. Yes.

¶ 03 By Gazette dated 24.07.2024, 13 Local Authorities in Jaffna District — including the Jaffna Municipal Council and other Urban and Pradeshiya Sabhas — were declared Urban Development Authority (UDA) areas. This does not impose an economic burden on the public; it provides necessary guidance for orderly construction. Powers of the UDA were declared but duly delegated to the respective Local Authorities. Accordingly, full implementation authority rests with those Local Authorities.

¶ 04 UDA’s online planning approval system ensures efficient and transparent approvals. This system has been introduced to all local authorities in Jaffna, and officials have been trained; it operates successfully. The UDA bears the substantial cost and provides the service free to those local authorities.

¶ 05 For the Hon. Member’s clarity: throughout Sri Lanka, plans for buildings under 9,000 square feet are approved by the Local Authorities. In the Northern Province there are 36 Local Authorities; their officers have been trained by the UDA. Approvals are processed online. There are two tracks: buildings over 9,000 sq. ft are approved by UDA; those under 9,000 sq. ft by Local Authorities. The Jaffna UDA office processes online submissions, with support from Colombo. The system is functioning well in the North. This supplements the answer to part 1.

¶ 06 For SMEs within local authorities, approvals are granted in line with UDA development regulations, protecting both enterprises and surrounding communities.

¶ 07 Under the National Physical Plan, four multimodal cities are identified: Colombo, Hambantota, Trincomalee, and Jaffna. To foster balanced economic, social, physical, and environmental development in the North, Jaffna District was declared a UDA area. The Greater Jaffna Development Plan has been prepared with stakeholder participation, presented to all Hon. MPs of Jaffna, and revised with their inputs.

¶ 08 At the discussion held on 27 May 2025, Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan participated and consented. Further, at the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee on 26 December 2025, approval was reaffirmed. The Plan will be gazetted.

¶ 09 UDA grants approvals only for buildings over 9,000 sq. ft; all other building plans are approved by respective Local Authorities.

¶ 10 Therefore, the Gazette will not be revoked.

¶ 11 06. As explained, a structured development plan is essential for orderly urban development in Jaffna. Hence, the Gazette cannot be revoked, and it does not impose burdens on ordinary people.

¶ 12 Additionally, under the President’s Budget, ten cities will receive special development plans; from the North, Jaffna and Chavakachcheri are included, with an additional Rs. 250 million allocated this year. The Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation is studying flood mitigation in Jaffna city, which inundates during heavy rainfall due to underdeveloped ponds and drainage. We also aim for long-term development of Jaffna city, with Rs. 250 million allocated this year. That is my response.