PARLIAMENT

Hon. Chanaka Madugoda,—To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation,— (1)

(a) Will he inform this House —

(i) whether the program to provide freehold deeds to the owners of deeds to government lands, which was implemented by the previous government, will be continued;

(ii) of the number of freehold deeds that have been granted under the program so far;

(iii) whether he is aware that the owners of deeds to government lands have surrendered their deeds to the respective Divisional Secretariats in order to obtain freehold deeds under the aforesaid program; and

(iv) of the manner in which deeds, which have been surrendered to the Divisional Secretariats, will be returned? 

(b) If not, why?