Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe distributed freehold land deeds to Mahaweli settlers in Polonnaruwa as part of the government's 'Urumaya' program, which aims to grant free land rights to the people. This initiative is seen as a ground-breaking step towards agricultural reform and development in the country. The Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority has plans to prepare 204,002 freehold deeds, with 20,178 to be distributed by the end of May.
President Wickremesinghe highlighted the significance of this move, stating that no other nation has undertaken such a massive initiative to date. He emphasized that providing freehold land deeds to farmers will empower them and enable them to fully utilize their land for agricultural purposes. This aligns with the government's commitment to improving the agricultural sector and supporting rural communities. The President urged people to participate in the government's agricultural modernization program, which aims to secure a prosperous future for the youth. The event was attended by religious leaders, government officials, and delegates.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena praised the Urumaya Program as a transformative initiative that will bring positive change to the country. Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation and Irrigation, Ms. Pavitradevi Vanniarachchi, highlighted the comprehensive system instituted by President Wickremesinghe to address the fundamental needs of households.
However, amidst the distribution of land deeds, controversy arises as Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) parliamentarian Kulasingam Thileeban has allocated nearly Rs 1 million in aid of development activities that will allow Sinhalese settlers to relocate to the army-sponsored Nandimithragaama in Vanni. The Nandimithragama housing complex, funded by the Sri Lankan military, has 309 houses. Thileeban has also allocated Rs. 1.9 million for another Sinhalese settler village. The EPDP is headed by Douglas Devananda, Sri Lanka's fisheries minister and government-aligned paramilitary leader. The EPDP has been accused of human rights abuses, including murder, extortion, kidnapping, child trafficking, and running child prostitution rings for Sri Lankan soldiers.
While the government's dedication to investing in agricultural reform, along with other economic measures such as the transition to a floating exchange rate, aims to strengthen the country's economy and promote long-term growth, the allocation of funds by Thileeban for Sinhalese settlers in Tamil homeland has sparked concerns and raised questions about the government's commitment to the rights of Tamil people and the ongoing ethnic tensions in the region.