• Squatters and farmers engaged in illegal occupation not to be evicted, District Coordination Comms. to address subsidies/welfare services-related deficiencies  

Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Dinesh Gunawardena said that steps will be taken to resolve land ownership related issues of all people residing in the North within the next two months. 

He said this while replying to the issue raised in the Parliament yesterday (10) by Parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan. The latter queried as to whether necessary steps can be taken to provide deeds of lands and Government welfare schemes to permanent residents under the middle class land programme.

The Premier pointed out that the Government has already commenced discussions in this regard and that the District Coordinating Committee Chairmen and the Government are working on the issue to find out the possibility of finding illegal residents and granting them permission to live in those lands and issuing certificates of occupancy regarding the lands to them. It was possible to reach an agreement between the squatters and the original owners of some lands, while in places where such an agreement could not be reached, the granting of land rights was delayed. Gunawardena emphasised that the Government has taken steps to speed up the programme to confirm the land rights of the people of the North by giving priority to the land deed programme announced by the President in the Budget, while the people who are engaged in farming or residing will not be evicted on the basis of illegal occupation.

In the meantime, he said that the Government is obliged to provide the necessary welfare or assistance to all the residents, whether they are legal occupants or not. Accordingly, Gunawardena further stated that all those engaged in farming, fishing or other fields will be given the subsidies and welfare services that they deserve and that if there are any deficiencies in the programme, they can submit complaints to the District Coordination Committees.