Everyone should own a land and house – Minister Hashim

The policy of the government is for everyone to own a land, a house and income said Minister of Highways and Road development, Kabir Hashim.

A meeting participated by Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunatileka under the programme of one million land deeds granting to the landless people launched by the government was held at the Kegalle Kachchari last Friday.

Addressing the media after the discussion, Minister Kabir Hashim said that although the people in Kegalle District suffered from a land ownership problem in the past, some politicians grabbed the lands of the people for their benefits.

At present some people do not even have an inch of land although the system of gifting deeds of lands as well as the ownership of lands to the people was introduced by Portuguese, the Minister said.

The present government however is fully aware of the abysmal sufferings of the people who are without deeds for their lands but having only ‘land permits’.

This helpless group was therefore unable to apply for loans and was not entitled to the benefits of deed holders. After having realized this unfair treatment, my earnest anticipation for a long time even when I was in the opposition and an MP was to remedy this injustice as soon as the first opportunity knocked on my door. That moment of joy had now arrived. The people of Kegalle district who had no deeds and only permits for their lands have been granted title deeds. This has enabled the permit sans deed holders to overcome great obstacles. They are now given unencumbered title deeds to their lands, the minister who always thinks people’s happiness is his, gleefully pinpointed.

Minister Kabir Hashim appealed to the Land minister who is fully aware of the sad side of the landless problem of the masses to solve the problems of the people of Kegalle District, who are eagerly waiting for land deeds from the authorities. Referring to the Estate sector workers, the Minister requested the land Minister to take action to grant land from the estate companies to the estate workers.