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Squatters on State lands to be allowed to submit ownership bid
View(s):At least 600,000 families residing on State lands, or running business ventures without any permits or deeds, will be given an opportunity to obtain legal rights for the lands before the end of this year.
Land Commissioner General R.M.C.M. Herath told the Sunday Times her department, after scrutinising applications, would issue legal documents to those who have been using State lands for residential and business purposes.
“Those who have been using State lands for 8-10 years would be eligible to apply. The main reason for this initiative is that we need to identify State lands that can be utilised for purposes of development and cultivation in future,” Ms Herath said, explaining the government policy of effective usage of State lands.
The project she said was in keeping with the President’s manifesto which sought to utilise “state lands at its optimum level to enhance investment opportunities, promote local dairy production and cultivate local food crops.”
A gazette notification issued this week by the Land Commissioner General’s Department said:
“Duly identifying persons who unauthorisedly occupy State lands and confirming their eligibility, this programme will be implemented to grant them a legal document to confirm their ownership.”
Accordingly, applications are invited from those who have constructed permanent houses on State land, occupy a State land by utilising it for agriculture or any development activity, to select the beneficiaries across the island, except in Colombo and Gampaha Districts where, according to the gazette notification, special development projects will be implemented.
The closing date for applications is September 30.
Once the applications are submitted, Divisional Secretariats will verify the squatters’ eligibility to become beneficiaries under the scheme.
The Department expects to finalise the list of beneficiaries by the end of this year.