Special committee to tackle land encroachment and coastal degradation in East

Wednesday, 24 June 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet on Monday approved the establishment of a special committee to address illegal land acquisitions, unauthorised coastal developments and longstanding land administration issues in the Eastern Province, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday.

The decision follows concerns over what the Government described as a series of political, economic and administrative problems in the province arising from the misuse of state power, political patronage, illegal land grabbing and unauthorised construction activities along the eastern coastline.

Announcing Cabinet decisions, Dr. Jayatissa said the proposal had been submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake with the objective of finding permanent solutions to land-related disputes, strengthening institutional coordination and enabling legal action against unlawful activities.

Accordingly, Cabinet approved the appointment of a committee titled “Protecting Eastern Province Lands” under the chairmanship of former Southern Province Land Commissioner and current Southern Province Local Government Commissioner Senaka Palliyaguruge, with representatives from relevant state institutions.

The Government said illegal land acquisitions and unauthorised coastal developments have contributed to environmental degradation and accelerated soil erosion along large sections of the eastern coastline.

Cabinet also approved the establishment of a special unit headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police and the granting of full powers to the security forces to prevent unauthorised land acquisitions and land reclamation activities allegedly carried out using political influence.

As part of the initiative, the Government will also take back lands allocated by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority more than five years ago where no development projects have been implemented.

Those lands will subsequently be handed over to Divisional Secretaries under a formal program to support local development activities.

The Cabinet paper further noted that, despite 16 years having passed since the end of the civil war, the absence of a comprehensive resettlement program for displaced persons and inconsistencies in administrative structures have continued to affect development activities in the province and have implications for national security.

Among the other measures approved was the preparation of a formal plan to promote tourism along the eastern coastline while safeguarding coastal ecosystems.

Cabinet also approved the formulation of a mechanism to ensure that Government officials enforce laws impartially and transparently in relation to hotel operations and tourism-related developments along the eastern coast.

The Government said the measures are intended to address longstanding governance and land management issues in the Eastern Province while supporting sustainable development and environmental protection.