Nearly 200 files pertaining to the acquisition of land conducted under the Land Reform Commission have been lost, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has disclosed.
The COPE committee also revealed that 214 employees recruited in 2018 for the project of issuing one million deeds by the Land Reforms Commission have been confirmed without the permission of the Department of Management Services.
Issuing a statement, the Parliament of Sri Lanka said it was revealed that the recruitments were made on a contract basis with the approval of the Cabinet and since then, the group has been confirmed on the basis of a circular issued in 2014.
COPE Chairman (Prof.) Charitha Herath pointed out that a serious error had been made by confirming a group of recruits who were recruited for a project without the permission of the Department of Management Services and that this situation set a wrong precedent for other government agencies as well.
Accordingly, the COPE Chairman instructed Mr. R.A.A.K. Ranawaka, Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development to conduct a formal investigation at the Ministerial level and submit a full report to the COPE Committee within a month and to take immediate action to rectify this situation.
These facts were disclosed at the COPE Committee meeting held on Wednesday (17) that was chaired by Prof. Charitha Herath to examine the Auditor General’s reports for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 and the current performance of the Land Reforms Commission.
The COPE Chairman pointed out that the extent of lands acquired during the land acquisition by the Land Reforms Commission established under the Land Reforms Act No. 01 of 1972 and the lack of accurate data on the lands which were disposed of by each government during the period was a serious concern. It was revealed that the Commission now owns nearly 1.7 million acres of land and that value is not accurate. The Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development pointed out that this was due to the lack of proper surveying during the acquisition of lands and the transfer of lands under various governments.
The Committee pointed out that since it is essential for the Commission to have accurate data as well as valuation on these lands which are the main assets of the Commission, it is essential that the lands be properly assessed and a definite document with a basis be prepared in this regard. The COPE Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to prepare an expeditious program and inform the COPE Committee on the possibility of using modern drone technology for this purpose.
The Committee stressed the need to digitize the data on these lands using modern technology. The committee pointed out that it would solve many problems, including various irregularities, and instructed the Secretary to intervene immediately.
The Chairman of the Land Commission stated that some files pertaining to the acquisition have been lost. It was revealed that nearly 200 such files have been lost. The Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to look into this matter immediately.
The Committee emphasized the need to rectify this situation as land grabbing by people has become a serious problem instead of putting it to more effective use. It was also revealed that out of the lands acquired under the Land Reforms Act of 1972- 1974, there are 260 unoccupied 50-acre lands due to non-submission of plans and declarations. Accordingly, the Committee instructed the Secretary to the Ministry and the Chairman of the Land Commission to open a special window and intervene to resolve this issue within the next six months as this process which has been delayed for 50 years has become a historical issue.
Though the valuation of nearly 1.7 million acres of land owned by the Commission many years ago was mentioned Rs. 676 million, the committee pointed out that the value should be corrected according to the present status. As the value of an acre is around Rs. 500, the COPE Chairman instructed the Chairman of the Land Commission to take necessary action within six months to rectify this problem immediately.
It was also revealed that after leasing the lands of the Commission, it has become a problem to obtain loans by mortgaging those lands to the banks. It was revealed that this occurs due to the fact that the businessmen have the ability to obtain a mortgage with the permission of the Commission as stated in the terms of the transfer of the land they have obtained. There was also a question as to whether certain lands would be utilized effectively after being handed over to the Divisional Secretaries.
Commenting on this, the COPE Chairman said that the main task at present is to identify the extent of assets owned by the Commission and to prepare a model for its effective organization. Prof. Herath said that as this is a matter of national interest, the committee will be reconvened in the future to work out a definite plan with the stakeholders including the Survey Department.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, State Minister Indika Anuruddha, Members of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka, (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratna, Nalin Bandara, Madhura Withanage were present at the committee meeting. (NewsWire)