The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe — Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, thank you for the opportunity.

¶ 02 An agricultural-wildlife impact survey will be held on March 15. Alongside it, there seems to be another “census”: of politicians trying to disrupt it. Even our Hon. Leader of the Opposition was caught up in that narrative this morning. The previous speaker, however, was not.

¶ 03 On “Urumaya” (freehold title) grants: multiple stakeholders shared views with us. Many experts advised halting the program; another group suggested reforming it; yet another said to continue as is. Accordingly, with Cabinet approval, we have appointed a committee of nine experts to review whether and how to proceed and what to do regarding already issued permits. They are meeting; within a couple of days we expect recommendations, upon which we will decide whether to continue with reforms, continue as is, or halt—and how to treat permits already issued.

¶ 04 Turning to my assigned subjects—Lands and Irrigation. In irrigation, there are many problematic, stalled projects. Our Budget plan prioritizes regularizing and completing them. There are seven such projects; we aim to complete five this year. Funds have been allocated accordingly.

¶ 05 Yan Oya: much work is completed, but many issues remain; Rs. 2,350 million is allocated to resolve them and finish this year.

¶ 06 Uma Oya: there are two components—the Multi-purpose Development Project and the Lower Uma Oya Basin Development. The multi-purpose component has generated significant controversy and problems, including land, drinking water, housing damage, and compensation issues. A Cabinet Sub-Committee of five ministers has been appointed to recommend relief; their report is expected soon, after which relief measures will be implemented. For completion works, Rs. 1,920 million is allocated. In the Lower Basin component, some works are complete, some partially done, some problematic; we will fund and finish them.

¶ 07 Ellewewa Reservoir and the canal bringing water from Eruwewa to Mahakanadarawa: partially built—Rs. 500 million allocated to complete.

¶ 08 Lower Malwathu Oya: the reservoir being built in Anuradhapura to benefit Mannar—funds are allocated; it is a long-delayed project with many issues; we intend to regularize and complete it.

¶ 09 The largest is the North Central Province Canal Project (NCP Canal). The country’s longest tunnel—28 km under Habarana—is nearing completion, after huge expenditure. But water from Moragahakanda is not yet coming to the tunnel intake, nor from the tunnel outlet to Huruluwewa and Mahakanadarawa. Therefore, we have allocated Rs. 32,500 million to regularize and operationalize this major investment so it contributes to the economy. In total, two of the five key projects have firm allocations for near-term completion.

¶ 10 Beyond projects, routine irrigation maintenance and rehabilitation will continue—Rs. 4,000 million allocated; for disaster-related repairs, Rs. 1,000 million; to the Mahaweli Authority for canal and bund repairs, nearly Rs. 1,000 million. Under irrigation, projects like ASMP, IWWRMP, “Gama Pubudwa,” and Knuckles initiatives are funded. Overall, about Rs. 60,000 million is allocated for reservoir and irrigation construction and rehabilitation—major development works expected to generate employment and economic benefits, and clear sector bottlenecks.

¶ 11 On lands: millions live without deeds, permits, or any documents. Legal frameworks are complex and processes lengthy; some public errors and official shortcomings contribute. Many files are stuck—some within Mahaweli, some at the LRC, some at Divisional Secretariats and the Land Commissioner General’s Department—causing hardship to millions. We aim to systematize and expedite land titling and ownership issuance and to introduce a new streamlined process—this Budget makes an effort toward that. Long-term, we need a national land policy and a national land-use plan: orderly urban development, housing, reservation of lands for reservoirs and conservation, appropriate regulations for protection, and allocation for industry. As the President stated in the Budget speech, this is an island with limited land; in future, land scarcity will constrain housing; we must optimize every plot for economic contribution. We will work towards a coherent land-use policy.

¶ 12 Hon. Gayashan Karunathilaka also raised LRC issues this morning. Indeed, many problems exist; reforms are needed at the Land Reform Commission. Without reforms, we cannot regularize matters; we are working on this.

¶ 13 On the Mahaweli Authority: our government came in with expectations of major change. In agriculture we aim to introduce new technologies, methods, attract youth, diversify crops, and raise yields. The Mahaweli Authority is a powerful institution capable of significant impact in agriculture, but in recent years it was dragged down—used for grabbing lands and assets. We intend to revive it. We have already launched “Mahaweli Revival Week” across the 10 Mahaweli areas, currently active in Area 7, implementing thousands of community and agricultural activities—reconnecting farmers and communities with the Authority, rebuilding strong ties, and delivering tangible works through shramadana and public participation. We will continue to identify problems in agriculture, lands, and irrigation, adopt long-term plans, and clear stalled projects.

¶ 14 Finally, coordination among institutions is vital. In agriculture, there are agencies under the central Ministry, under Provincial Councils, and others. We have established a special mechanism for coordination. As a team working to a unified policy and program, it is easier to coordinate and implement national programs—for agriculture, livestock, and, soon, a structured plan for lands as well.

¶ 15 Thank you.