About Us Sunday, 10 April 2011 14:20 Vision To promote a society with undisputed lands as the predecessor of government land administration. Mission Maintaining proper management which supports the title of undisputed land guiding to utilize state lands competently while assuring the sustainability of the development within a national policy and with proper co-ordination. Sri Lanka was governed by the British for a long period. During this period the Sri Lankan public had to undergo several crises including cultivation of tea in wet zone, deteriorating of irrigation system in dry zone, migration of population to the South Western part of the island, negligence of paddy cultivation, Plantation Economy being given priority over self sufficient economy, Food shortage after 1st world war etc. Due to these reasons and as a result of the local representatives of state council paying further attention in this regard, as the necessity arisen to expedite production of food and the need to settle the public in south western and other parts of the island, a Land Commission was first established in 1927 to implement the recommendations of the same. As recommended by the said commission in 1931, the Land Commissioner’s Department was established, and Mr. Brain was appointed as the first Land Commissioner. Accordingly the department was vested with all powers of the state lands. Farmer’s colonies, High Land Project, Village expanding Project, Youth Campaign and Middle Class Campaign were identified as special development programmes by the department. Selection of land recipients (by land Kaccheri), distribution of lands, etc were the main tasks the department was assigned with. In 1931 the Land settlement Ordinance was introduced to distinguish between the state and private owned lands. In 1935 the Land Development Ordinance was enforced and accordingly the department was assigned with the trust, distribution and development of all state owned lands. In 1947 the state land Ordinance was introduced to facilitate granting lands to various departments, institutions and people to settle in, identify various reservations, Beach administration, administration of Public Lakes. Land Reforms Commission was appointed according to the Land Reforms Commission Act No 01 of 1972. By this all lands more than 50 acres in extent were taken over by the government. As per Land, special provisions act, all lands taken over by the land rehabilitation department were to be taken over by the government and distributed among the public by the Land Commissioner’s Department. In 1979 the Act related to Taking over the Possession of State Lands was introduced to remove unauthorized occupants in state lands and to recover the possession of such lands by the government. The Land Commissioner’s department was assigned with this task. Under schedule 11 of the 13th amendment of the constitution 1987, the Provincial Council was assigned with some of the areas regarding lands. Further administration of lands associated with Inter Provincial Development schemes was assigned to Land Commissioner’s Department’. Anuradhapura, Putlam, Kurunegala, Mannar, Vavunia, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Matale, Kandy, Badulla, Ampara, Batticoloa, Monaragala, Hambantota and Ratnapura Districts belonged to Inter Districts while Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Mahiyangana, Debarawewa, Ampara were divided into six administrative zones. To facilitate administration, Deputy Land Commissioners, Assistant Land Commissioners, Colony Officer, Field Instructors were appointed.