Towards a national land policy

Uditha Kumarasinghe

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Popular actor turned politician Land and Land Development Minister Jeewan Kumaranatunga in an interview with the Daily News expressed his views on the current political situation and the measures taken by his Ministry to settle the land problems of the people.

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Q: Has the Land Ministry focused its attention to formulate a National Land Policy?

A: The Ministry has already formulated a National land Policy. In order to implement this policy, the National Land Commission should be established.

We have already submitted our proposal to the Cabinet for the establishment of this National Land Commission. At present, this is being discussed in the Cabinet and the Cabinet intends to include some more features into this proposal. Therefore, we will be able to implement the National Land Policy once this National Land Commission is established by the Government.

Q: What are the measures taken by the Ministry to provide lands to the landless families?

A: A proper land policy was lacking during the past few years. When we look into the past, lands have been grabbed by certain people using the strength of their body and their political power. Some people have grabbed lands and decided even the boundaries of lands using their political power.

After living in that particular land for a certain period, these people have obtained a permit to that land. As a policy, we have informed the Cabinet and taken a decision, if somebody has grabbed a land by force to consider it as a disqualification to issue a permit or an authorised document to that land.

We also made a request at the Provincial Council level to register the people in each Divisional Secretariat level who don’t have any land of their own. Under this program, a large number of people have registered. When we conduct Land Secretariats priority will be given to these people. I think this would pave the way for creating a proper mechanism to provide lands to the landless in a more justifiable manner.

Q: Has the Ministry formulated any mechanism to overcome the land disputes of the people?

A: We have already introduced several amendments to the existing land bills. Under the ‘Bim Saviya’ program, arrangements have been made to survey every inch of land in the country and computerise the details of lands and provide a certificate to each land accepted by the Government.

As a developing country, this would be a great help for us to separately identify the lands such as industrial and private lands. Therefore, this program will help minimise land problems. In addition, a large number of documents have got stuck due to various prevailing conditions of the land acts. These problems cannot be solved without removing the shortcomings of the Lands Act.

We moved a bill in Parliament to overcome these shortcomings and reached a consensus. But some Provincial Councils opposed it due to lack of their understanding about the content of this bill.

The Ministry will closely work with Provincial Councils regarding this land issue. According to the Land Act, the Land Ministry has been vested with some powers while the Provincial Councils have also been given certain powers. Through these new amendments, we intend to give powers to the Provincial Councils to sort out the land problems in their respective provinces.

Therefore, we hope to move this bill in Parliament again and make the Provincial Land Ministers understand the importance of this new amendments. Only the Central Government Land Ministry can move amendments to the Lands Act. The Ministry will move this bill in Parliament within the next few weeks and get it passed. This would help to overcome a large number of existing land problems.

Q: What are the measures taken to settle the land problems of the people in the North and East?

A: As the initial stage, we have already taken steps to fill the vacancies of the employees in the Eastern province to conduct our survey activities. A discussion will also be called within the next few days to commence the survey activities of the lands in the Eastern Province later.

The Ministry has already sent a team of Government officials to plan these survey activities in the Eastern Province. The Ministry will commence the same program in the North as well when the North is fully liberated from the clutches of the terrorists.

Q: What do you think of the present measures taken by the Government to develop the North and East areas?

A: It is our prime responsibility to provide all the requirements to the people in these two provinces who did not see even an electric bulb during the past three decades due to ruthless terrorism. At present, the Government is fulfilling this task.

But the people in the south should also make some sacrifice regarding this as the Tamil people in the North are our own brethren. When the entire north is liberated from terrorism, the people in the North and the East can largely enjoy that great victory.

Q: At present the people have given a massive mandate to the Government to implement the Mahinda Chinthana policy. According to you what is the key reason for this?

A: At present most of the people are with the Government. Earlier, an opinion had been created that most of the Tamil people vote for the UNP as a habit. This thinking has been completely changed at present.

Today Tamil people and most of the other people firmly believe President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only leader who can bring a solution to the ethnic problem and they have extended their fullest support to the President to fulfill his task. Even a large number of UNP supporters have also joined hands with the Government to turn this objective into a reality.

Q: What do you think of the support given by the country’s artistes to the Government to eliminate terrorism?

A: It is very important the support given by the artistes to put an end to this issue. Once terrorism is eradicated, the artistes can play a leading role to bridge the gap between the people in the North and the South and minimise the present gap created between Sinhala and Tamil communities. All the artistes should join hands and play a key role to heal the minds of the people who have been seriously affected due to the result of the three decade old terrorist problem.

Q: As a veteran actor, can you be satisfied with the moves taken by the Government for the welfare of the artistes?

A: Amidst various hardships, the Government has taken a series of measures to develop the country’s film industry. The Government has given various concessions and credit facilities to promote the film industry. In addition, the National Performing Art Centre and other cultural centres which are under construction in Colombo will provide more facilities to the country’s dramatists to further develop their skills.

The Government has also focused its attention to provide houses to the artistes. Therefore, we should highly appreciate the measures taken by the Government for the well-being of the artistes.

During the former UNP Government, a large number of artistes went and requested then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe not to sell the National Film Corporation. But those artistes had to turn back within a few minutes later due to remarks made by Wickremesinghe that he will sell all the Government institutions which are running at a loss.

Veteran actors like Ravindra Randeniya who played a leading role for the victory of then UNP Government decided to extend his support to President Mahinda Rajapksa due to his complete dissatisfaction with the measures taken by Wickremesinghe with regard to the Film Corporation issue. But the President as the leader of the country is very concerned over the problems faced by the artistes.

Q: Finally what do you think of artistes entering politics?

A: There is no fault in artistes entering politics. But they should enter politics by identifying the genuine role of a politician. For the first time, an artiste can enter politics by using his popularity. But he cannot remain in this field for long without fulfilling his duties. Politics is not an easy task. But if an artiste enter politics with an honest intention and dedication, definitely he will be accepted by the people.