Laws to designate areas occupied by plantation workers as New Settlement Villages

The Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to identify areas occupied by plantation workers on state-owned plantation lands managed by the State Plantations Corporation and regional plantation companies and to draft legislation to formally designate these areas as new settlement villages.

A special discussion in this regard was also held at the Presidential Secretariat, underthe patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (18). All parties have expressed agreement on the timely proposal to enact laws declaring areas where plantation workers dwell within state-managed plantations, overseen by the State Plantations Corporation and regional companies, as new villages.

MP Mano Ganesan emphasised the crucial need to secure land rights for current plantation dwellers under this initiative, submitting a corresponding proposal to the President.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the government’s on-going commitment to implementing programmes that provide freehold land and housing rights to residents across villages, towns, and plantations.

President Wickremesinghe recommended initiating the legislative process by consulting regional plantation companies and proposed the formation of a committee comprising parliamentarians representing plantation communities and relevant stakeholders to oversee the process.

Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman, Education State Minister Arvind Kumar and MPs Mano Ganesan, Palani Thigambaram, Vadivel Suresh, Velu Kumar, M. Rameshwaran, and M.Udayakumar participated in the discussion, along with Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake and Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry Secretary A.C.M. Nafeel and State Plantation Enterprises Reforms Ministry Secretary Dr. Sugath Yalegama and other officials were also in attendance.

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