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Cancellation of land deals set off other complications
Government's decision this week to revoke all land deals done by the former UNF regime has set off a controversy as numerous projects begun on the lands acquired are facing the prospect of being put on hold.

According to the decision made by the Government 528 land deals out of which 190 for house building purposes, 243 for agriculture and 95 for other purposes will be scrapped.

The land deals to be scrapped were those carried out by the Land Reforms Commision during the UNF regime from january 2001 to March 2004. The Committee appointed to look into the land transfers states that many such transfers have been based on political interference and are not in keeping with accepted procedures.

According to the Committee report the former Lands Minister and Land Reforms Commission (LRC) Chairman on certain occasions have given orders to process land deal applications which have exceeded the powers vested in them.

The Committee report adds that the LRC Chairman had permitted the payment of advances for survey and lease fees in instalments while specifying the quantum as he wished to be appropriate.

Former LRC Chairman Lakshman Ranasinghe charged that people who had initiated projects on these lands would be badly affected as a result of the cancellation and said they could pursue legal action for the abrupt suspension of their projects.

He denied the allegation that land transfers have been carried out on the basis of political affiliations and said all such allocations were based on project and financial reports submitted by the Land Ministry.

However he admitted the Land Ministry had given approval for land transfers based on recommendations from politicians but that too was done through legal procedures.

During the Cabinet briefing on Thursday Government's media spokesman Minister Mangala Samaraweera alleged that the Land Ministry had transferred lands to politicians' relations and friends violating accepted procedures.

He wowed that legal action would be taken against those who refuse to vacate the lands given by the former government. Politicians against whom such allegations were levelled included former Land Minister Rajitha Senaratne, former Minister Susantha Punchinilame, parliamentarians Justin Galappatti and A.A. Wijetunga.

Mr. Punchinilame told The Sunday Times that he had never made recommendations to the Land Ministry to transfer land to his brother Dinesh Punchinilame and these allegations were baseless.

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