By Newswire Editorial
The government is preparing to reclaim state-owned agricultural lands leased to 135 individuals who have failed to utilise them for their intended cultivation purposes, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha said.
According to the Minister, 135 individuals who obtained government agricultural lands on a lease basis but have not cultivated them have been identified, with arrangements underway to reclaim the lands and allocate them for productive agricultural activities.
Minister Lal Kantha said that instructions have been issued to the relevant authorities to implement a programme to reclaim agricultural lands that remain unused despite being leased for cultivation and agricultural investments.
Under the proposed programme, such lands will be identified and reclaimed in accordance with the conditions of the relevant lease agreements and legal procedures.
The reclaimed lands will then be allocated to individuals and institutions capable of undertaking productive agricultural projects.
The Minister further noted that keeping agricultural lands idle for extended periods deprives the country of opportunities to increase its production capacity.
The initiative aims to boost agricultural production, attract new investments and create additional income opportunities for rural communities.
He emphasised that the true value of state-owned agricultural lands lies in their contribution to national production and economic development, rather than merely being held under lease agreements. (Newswire)