The Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Bandula Gunawardena has instructed to give unused railway reserve and road reserve land belonging to the Railway Department to farmers’ societies, elderly societies and youth societies for short-term crop cultivation.
A discussion at the Ministry of Transport and Highways this afternoon (27) was chaired by Minister Bandula Gunawardena regarding the leasing of unused land owned by the Railway Department for short-term crop cultivation.
The Minister expressing his views instructed the railway officials to together with the Divisional Secretaries, Farmer Regulators and Agriculture Officers to identify suitable land for cultivation in railway reserves and road reserves at the Divisional Secretariat level and make arrangements to give two or three acre plots as well as small plots like 10 and 15 perches plots of land to the famer community for short-term crop cultivation.
However, the Minister also instructed not to allow any construction on any land belonging to the state. The officials were also instructed to include those who do illegal cultivation in the tax system and collect tax money from them.
The Minister told the officials that no land should be given privately and that every inch of cultivable land should be used for this purpose.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture expressing his views said that the fertilizer received under the Indian loan assistance system can be provided by the Ministry of Agriculture for those who acquire land for maize cultivation and that the necessary technical advice can be provided by his ministry to those who are resorting to container crop cultivation in land unsuitable for cultivation.
A group of officials including the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Highways, the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Superintendent of Railways and the district secretaries, assistant land commissioners and district agriculture directors virtually joined the discussion.
