PARLIAMENT

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

(a) Will he state —

(i) whether he is aware that a 76-acre land belonging to the Land Reform Commission in No. 472 Pothuwila Grama Niladhari Division of Ganewatta Divisional Secretariat Division in Kurunegala, was acquired in 1999 for a pilot project of the Ministry of Agriculture;

(ii) of the compensation, interest and the total amount paid to the Commission for aforesaid purpose, separately;

(iii) of the name of the person who made the request to acquire the land;

(iv) of the name of the person to whom the possession was handed over after the acquisition of the land;

(v) ​of the name of the said agricultural production pilot project concerned; and

(vi) whether he is aware that the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka has borne a large amount of capital expenditure to develop the infrastructure facilities of the project?

(b) Will he also state —

(i) whether he is aware that the acquired land has been given to the ‘Hiriyala Farmers Company Ltd’ on a part-time lease basis for 30 years by the Department of the Commissioner General of Lands;

(ii) of the annual lease amount payable by aforesaid company;

(iii) of the name of the chairman of aforesaid company;

(iv) whether he accepts that public money/property has been misused there; and

(v) ​​of the steps that will be taken in this regard?

(c) If not, why?