The Sri Lankan government has approved legislation to designate areas occupied by plantation workers on state-owned lands as new settlement villages. The proposal was presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, received Cabinet approval and aims to formally recognize these regions, which are managed by the State Plantation Corporation and regional plantation companies.

A special discussion was held at the Presidential Secretariat on July 17, chaired by President. The consensus among all parties highlights the importance of securing land rights for plantation dwellers, with Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan highlighting the necessity of this initiative.

President reaffirmed the government's commitment to providing freehold land and housing rights to residents across various regions, including villages, towns, and plantations. He proposed starting the legislative process with consultations involving regional plantation companies and suggested forming a committee of parliamentarians and stakeholders to oversee the implementation.

Key officials and politicians, including Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman and State Minister for Education Arvind Kumar, participated in the discussions.