Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation, Susil Ranasinghe, told Parliament yesterday that the Government has initiated an investigation into the misuse of lands distributed for cultivation projects under the Mahaweli Authority during previous regimes. The move comes following multiple claims made in Parliament alleging that large plots of land had been privately allocated to politically influential individuals—such as actors, cricketers, and former ministers—without any actual cultivation taking place.
According to the Deputy Minister, the investigation is aimed at identifying the individuals who received these lands, the total extent of land involved, the original purpose for which the land was allocated, and the current status of these plots. He emphasized that the Government is working to determine appropriate actions to resolve the matter and ensure that such land allocations are used as originally intended, especially for agriculture.
Ranasinghe stressed the importance of consulting the Regional Coordination Committees (RCCs) before making any decisions on land distribution, highlighting that collective decisions by RCCs are essential for ensuring transparency and accountability. He also urged that any issues related to Mahaweli lands should first be reported to the respective RCCs, with their decisions then forwarded to the Ministry for further action.
Raising the issue in Parliament, NPP Polonnaruwa District MP Pathmasiri Bandara claimed that land parcels ranging from 100 to 500 acres in the Mahaweli B and D zones had been allocated to influential individuals through unofficial private deals. He noted that many of these lands remain uncultivated and that ownership in some cases has been transferred or sold for profit, contradicting the lands’ original purpose of supporting agricultural development. Bandara called for decisive Government action to reclaim and properly utilize these lands for their intended public benefit.
