The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has revealed that a 43-acre plot of land in the Hanthana estate was released to SJB MP Chamindrani Kiriella in a manner that bypassed the provisions of the Land Reforms Act, sparking controversy.
This plot had been previously belonging to the Janatha Estate Development Board.
This revelation came to light during a COPE meeting attended by officials from the Land Reforms Commission (LRC), who had been summoned for questioning on the matter.
Responding to a query raised by COPE Chair Dr Nishantha Samaraweera, LRC Director General Padmasiri Liyanage stated that the Commission was under no legal obligation to release any land to Chamindrani Kiriella.
Explaining the situation further, Liyanage noted:
“There are over 22 individuals listed as ‘claimants’ to this land, each seeking more than 50 acres. In addition, there are 46 individuals who are not registered claimants. The Land Reforms Commission has not released land to any of these individuals so far. We have no authority to release land to non-claimants, as the ownership of such land does not fall under the purview of the Commission. Therefore, there is absolutely no obligation on our part to allocate land to Chamindrani Kiriella.”
