COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Railways Department will lease lands to the squatters who are currently occupying them, after an assessment to determine the extent of land and length of occupancy.
Minister of Transport and Highways and Mass Media, Bandula Gunawardena, said he had obtained cabinet approval to have the land and property occupied by squatters for over 10 years assessed, before signing a lease agreement with them.
The Railways Department owns the largest extent of land in the country.
Gunawardena, who was speaking at the inauguration of the Assistant Commercial Superintendent’s office in Nawalapitiya, said that squatters who have been occupying railway land for less than 10 years will be prosecuted, warning, “Land grabbing now is useless.”
He also noted that the Assistant Commercial Superintendent’s office in Nawalapitiya will in future carry out all commercial activities on the railway lands extending from Rambukkana to Matale and Badulla.
“Squatters have to come to this office immediately and file appeals and get the properties assessed; an appeal will be heard on what’s going on. Those who have been there for more than 10 years should verify their identity and pay taxes,” he said.
-economynext.com
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