Uncultivated paddy land to be taken for housing construction

The Government this week approved a new mechanism to identify and take over uncultivated or abandoned paddy land for housing construction under Housing and Construction Ministry.

A proposal given by Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa to devise a method to utilise uncultivated paddy land for housing purposes highlighting the limitations that exists in using paddy cultivating lands non-agriculture related purposes which leads to limitations in land available for human settlements in urban areas was approved. 

Accordingly a two-tier decision making process will be formulated by Housing and Construction Ministry, in association with the Department of Agrarian Services, the Land Commissioners Department, the Urban Development Authority and the National Housing Development Authority.

To mitigate the limitations experienced by developers at present, an application to develop a unutilised paddy land is filed with the Department of Agrarian Services, a field inspection is to be carried out by a team of officers appointed by the Government Agent of the District. 

The recommendation of the Field-inspection Team will then be reviewed by an approvals committee. The National Housing Development Authority, will act as the convener of the two levels of Committees.