President tells officials to stop their turf wars and solve land problems in Nuwara Eliya before...

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (22) instructed relevant officials to formulate a report with inputs from all government agencies on the resolution of land problems in Nuwara Eliya district before February 04.

Addressing the Nuwara Eliya District Development Committee, President Wickremesinghe said urgent solutions should be given to the land problems of the people without involving themselves in turf warsS.

He requested the District Secretariat, Ministry of Plantation and Land Registration Department to jointly prepare a report on the state owned lands in the district within a month. “All the land licenses given to the plantation companies will be cancelled and steps will be taken to provide the land needed by the people and we hope to complete these activities before 04 February,” the President said.

Wickremesinghe said about 50 percent of the problems presented to him by the people can be solved by government officials and it is not necessary for a President or a Minister to come from Colombo to solve them. There is little coordination between state institutions and often there are turf wars, he said.

“Some public officials act as if Ukraine and Russia are at war. It is not necessary for a President, not even a Minister to spend money and come from Colombo to talk about these minor issues. Therefore, it is necessary for government officials to properly fulfil the responsibilities assigned to them without engaging in a tug of war,” he stated.

Further attention was focused on improving facilities at the health centres located near estates. “Problems that can be solved at the level of government officials should be solved first. A report on the problems in this district should be prepared one month before the next District Development Committee meeting. Officers should participate in the meeting of the development committee with possible solutions to the problems mentioned in the report. As a President, I will not find time to do any work other than solving these problems,” he said.

The measures to promote tourism in the District were also discussed and the President also advised to commence a cable car project between Pattipola and Boralanda for tourists visiting the World’s-end.

“Special programmes are needed to boost the tourism industry in the Nuwara Eliya. But nothing should be done in such a way as to harm the environment. Horton plains is the highest place in Sri Lanka. Therefore, nothing must be done to destroy it. We hope to introduce new laws to protect Horton Plains. Also, steps are being taken to commence a cable car service between Pattipola and Boralanda for those visiting the world’s End,” he said.