Serious concerns were raised over the Land Reform Commission’s inaction over previous COPE recommendations relating to allegations against N. Vimalaraj, an LRC District Director who is still serving in the position.
He was previously accused of illegally alienating over 1,000 plots of state-owned land. COPE expressed regret that investigations linked to this serious charge — highlighted in the Committee’s April 23, 2023 report — had not been adequately pursued.
The revelations came during a recent sitting of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), where the Land Reform Commission (LRC) was summoned for review. COPE members expressed disappointment over the lack of meaningful progress on inquiries and called for a full explanation regarding the failure to implement its previous directives.
In addition, COPE scrutinised a longstanding employee land allocation scheme at the LRC. The scheme — which had granted parcels of land to employees at a significantly reduced rate of Rs. 1,000 per perch — was carried out under provisions of Section 44(o) of the Land Reform Law No. 1 of 1972. This section permits the Commission to establish welfare schemes for employees, including housing and recreational facilities.
Under this scheme, 396 officials had reportedly received a total of 49 acres and 35.64 perches. However, the Committee was informed that the programme had since been suspended. Attention was drawn to issues such as employees receiving land despite not completing the required years of service, resigning soon after acquiring land, and in some cases, reselling the plots.
COPE instructed the LRC to seek a legal interpretation from the Attorney General’s Department, emphasising that the practice appeared unfair and may not align with the original legislative intent of the welfare provision.
