The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the appointment of a special committee to address illegal land encroachments, unauthorized coastal developments and land-related issues in the Eastern Province.
According to Cabinet decisions announced following Monday’s (22) meeting, the committee, titled “Protecting Eastern Province Lands”, will be chaired by former Southern Province Land Commissioner and current Southern Province Local Government Commissioner Senaka Palliyaguruge, with representatives from relevant institutions.
The Eastern Province has faced political, economic and administrative challenges due to the misuse of state power, illegal land acquisitions and unauthorized construction along the coastline. It noted that these activities have endangered the region’s natural ecosystem, accelerated coastal erosion and affected development and national security.
Cabinet also approved the establishment of a special police unit headed by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), with security forces to be granted full powers to prevent unauthorized land acquisitions and land reclamation carried out through political influence.
Among the other measures approved are the recovery of government lands allocated by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority more than five years ago where no development projects have been implemented, and the transfer of those lands to Divisional Secretaries for public development projects under a formal programme.
The government also approved proposals to prepare a comprehensive tourism development plan for the Eastern coastline while protecting the coastal ecosystem, and to introduce a mechanism to ensure government officials enforce the law impartially and transparently in relation to hotels operating along the eastern coast. (Newswire)