By The Pulseline News Desk
The Government has stepped up scrutiny of land use in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, with a special committee calling for detailed investigations into alleged illegal acquisitions, coastal encroachments and unauthorised construction, including developments in the increasingly prominent Arugam Bay area.
The committee appointed to safeguard state and environmentally sensitive lands in the Eastern Province held its second meeting this week at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by Presidential Chief of Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi.
The committee is tasked with preventing illegal acquisition of land, protecting the province’s coastal belt and coordinating relevant state institutions to resolve longstanding land-related issues more efficiently.
At its latest meeting, officials reviewed progress made following field inspections conducted across the province and examined the land situation in greater detail.
Coastal development under scrutiny
Among the issues brought before the committee were unauthorised constructions along coastal areas, alleged illegal acquisition of state lands and encroachments involving lands administered by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The concerns are significant in a province where coastal land is increasingly under pressure from tourism, commercial development, agriculture and other activities.
The Eastern Province contains some of the country’s most environmentally sensitive coastal and wildlife areas, while locations such as Arugam Bay have experienced rapid growth in tourism-related development.
The committee has now instructed officials to prepare a comprehensive report within two months, bringing together findings on the various categories of land-related violations identified during field inspections.
The report is expected to provide a clearer picture of the extent of unauthorised development and encroachment, while also identifying the state institutions responsible for addressing individual cases.
Arugam Bay gets immediate attention
The committee has also decided to obtain an interim report specifically on unauthorised constructions in Arugam Bay, indicating that the area will receive particular attention before the wider two-month assessment is completed.
District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries will be consulted and required to provide information for the preparation of the reports.
The decision places the local administrative authorities at the centre of efforts to establish what construction and land-use activities are taking place, where they are located and whether the necessary approvals have been obtained.
For Arugam Bay, the issue carries wider implications because development pressures have grown alongside its reputation as an international tourism destination.
From inspections to enforcement
The committee’s work will ultimately be measured not only by the reports produced but by whether identified violations lead to effective action.
Land disputes and encroachments often involve multiple government agencies, creating difficulties in determining responsibility and delaying enforcement. The committee’s mandate to coordinate state institutions is therefore aimed at addressing one of the recurring weaknesses in dealing with such cases.
The two-month comprehensive report and the earlier interim assessment on Arugam Bay could provide the Government with a consolidated basis for deciding what action should be taken against unauthorised developments and encroachments.
The latest meeting also signals a broader attempt to bring land administration, environmental protection and development controls under closer scrutiny in the Eastern Province.
For communities, landowners, tourism operators and environmental authorities alike, the findings could help determine where legitimate development ends and unlawful occupation or construction begins.
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