A discussion was held yesterday between the Mahaweli Authority officials and President Ranil Wickramasinghe.
It was also seen that the President got angry due to some of the answers given by the officials.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed relevant officials to amend the existing ordinances regarding lands to suit the current development needs.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe had issued these instructions during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (10), on amending the provisions of the ordinances of land management institutions and introducing new regulations.
President informed the officials to appoint a suitable committee to speed up the work.
He also pointed out that land policies brought during the colonial period are still being implemented in the country, adding that the ordinances brought at different times related to land use are not in line with the development needs of the time.
The Presidents media division said lengthy discussions were held about the preparation of a new National Land Policy by removing the existing obstacles in providing land for development activities.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the officials to resolve the issues of the lands under the Provincial Councils through a Land Commission.
President Wickremesinghe instructed officers to identify the details of the land owners in the Grama Niladhari Divisions and the amount of land that is currently utilized and the amount of land that has not been utilized and prepare a report at Divisional Secretariat levels.
The President informed the officers to take steps to redistribute among the public the lands acquired for Government purposes but not yet utilized, and in the future to acquire lands for Government purposes by paying the market value of the respective lands.
