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Govt. decision to give two million farming families freehold land deeds will lead to shanty towns – Udaya

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2 years ago

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Udaya Gammanpila

By Saman Indrajith

The government’s decision to give two million farming families freehold land deeds will lead to shanty towns popping up in most major towns in Sri Lanka, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila said.

Gammanpila added that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Urumaya Freehold Deed Programme could probably mark the end of Sri Lankan smallholder farming.

Gammanpila said that farmers only mad money during crop harvesting periods, i.e., at most three times a year.

“A typical farmer borrows money to cover daily expenses. Then he pays these loans with the money he makes during the harvest. Sometimes, he suffers crop losses due to natural disasters, diseases and insects. Sometimes, the farmers commit suicide, but because they do not have freehold titles, the land remains in the family,” he said.

Gammanpila said that since Independence, successive governments have given farmers deeds that are not transferable or sellable. None of these governments have freehold deeds because it was understood that farmers were in a debt trap.

“These days, farmers are facing greater economic challenges than ever. If we give them freehold land, within two years, a significant number of farming families will sell their lands. We will have so many landless people.”

The PHU leader said that most farmers are indebted to loan sharks. This is mainly the fault of banks, which are hesitant to give loans to farmers. Most bank loan schemes are aimed at monthly wage earners.

“The government recently decided that it will not purchase paddy this year. It will, however, give nine billion rupees to small and medium-scale rice millers so that they can buy paddy from farmers. If the government can come up with new schemes to support millers, it should also do something for farmers.”

About 35 percent of the workforce is in the informal sector, and the government and banks must come up with creative schemes to cater to their needs, too, he said.

“Now, the loan sharks can’t ask the farmers to keep their deeds as collateral. With freehold titles, loan sharks can ask farmers to do so, and the moment something goes wrong, these unscrupulous businessmen will take over farmers’ lands. What will the farmers do? Because of their pride, most people will come into the main towns with their families, instead of becoming a labourer. They will set up a shed, and we will soon have colonies of shanties.”

Gammanpila said that such shanty towns can be seen across South Asia. We escaped that because Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa and Mahinda Rajapaksa pumped money into rural infrastructure. Despite the many shortcomings of the initiatives of these men, most Sri Lankan villages have schools, a road network and basic infrastructure that prevented an exodus of villagers into towns.

“These shanty towns become dens of inequity. There will be diseases and crime. Unplanned urbanization will lead to a plethora of socio-economic problems. Just look at India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, etc.”

Gammanpila said the government needs to introduce farming insurance, and state banks should come up with deposit and lending schemes for farmers. Even if we had such schemes, this is the worst time to expose farmland to market mechanisms, he said.

“The price of locally manufactured goods have doubled in the last 18 months. Price of imports has tripled. Most people are selling their assets to make ends meet. At this point, we are giving farmers another item they can sell or pawn. Why are people taking loans now? It’s to bridge the gap between income and expenses. They are not borrowing to invest. There is no way that people can pay these loans. This is the reality.”

The PHU MP said he has no problem introducing a freehold deed scheme once the economy has recovered and bank loans and insurance schemes for farmers have been established.

“Even now, there is nothing preventing farmers from joining hands with others to start collectives, establish businesses or lease the land to another farmer in the same category. There are people who have established farmer’s cooperatives. We also have other state lands that can be released for large-scale commercial agriculture.”


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Indonesian Navy Sailing Ship KRI BIMA SUCI – 945 concludes official goodwill visit to Sri Lanka

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2026/04/19

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The Indonesian Navy Sailing Ship KRI BIMA SUCI – 945 departed the island on 18 Apr 2026, marking the successful completion of her official goodwill visit.

The ship was accorded a formal farewell by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions at the Port of Colombo.

The visit also served as a valuable educational platform, as officer under-trainees and other personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to conduct an observational
tour of the sailing vessel. This exchange of knowledge was complemented by a series of events designed to foster professional and social bonds.

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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district

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7 hours ago

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2026/04/19

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 18 April 2026, valid for 19 April 2026

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern
and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.


Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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‘Agents of the devil’ seeking to block Easter probe, Cardinal warns

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7 hours ago

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2026/04/19

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Warning that “agents of the devil who wish to hide the truth behind a wall of political posturing” were attempting to obstruct investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the Catholic Church has called for intensified public support and prayer to ensure justice for victims.

In a message issued ahead of the seventh anniversary of the April 21, 2019 bombings, Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said there were ongoing efforts by various forces to derail credible inquiries into the coordinated attacks that claimed 278 lives and left nearly 500 injured.

The statement noted that many of those killed had been attending Easter Sunday Mass when suicide bombers struck churches, including St. Anthony’s Shrine, Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya, and Zion Church, Batticaloa, causing widespread devastation and long-term suffering among survivors.

Seven years on, the Caridnal said, critical questions remain unanswered, including who masterminded the attacks, their motives, and why places of worship were targeted on Christianity’s most sacred day.

Full text of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith’s message: On 21st April 2026, the Church in Sri Lanka will be commemorating the 7th Anniversary of the Easter Sunday bomb blasts, which killed 278 of our fellow human beings and brethren in the faith in the most brutal fashion. Most of these people had come to our Churches for Easter Sunday Masses and prayer services. Many families were rendered destitute. Nearly 500 people were injured and some of them carry life long disabilities, suffering from the after effects of these blasts. St. Anthony’s Church Kochchikade and St. Sebastian’s Church Katuwapitiya of the Catholic community and the Zion Church in Batticaloa were, quasi totally destroyed. The economy of the country suffered immensely with untold problems affecting many families, ever since then. However much we try to console the families of these victims, it is something that we humans are unable to achieve as only the Lord can truly console them.

Besides, we still do not know who murdered these people and caused so much of suffering to many others, and why and for what purpose they chose our Churches on a day that was most sacred to us to organize these attacks. After repeated pleas by the Catholic Church, now at last, the incumbent government and the security establishment, seem to be holding a credible inquiry into this episode of mass murder in order to find out who was really behind it.

And there are many forces actively seeking to obstruct these inquiries and divert the direction of the inquiry in an aimless fashion in order to hide the truth behind these attacks. They are nothing but the agents of the devil who wish to hide the truth behind a wall of political posturing. We need to storm Heaven and ask the Lord to strengthen the hands of the investigators to find out what really happened and who was behind this mass murder as well as why it was done to innocent people who had nothing to do with politics.

Hence, I call upon all of you to kindly storm Heaven with your prayers calling upon the Lord to help us find out what really happened that most tragic day. And so, I am declaring Sunday, the 19th of April 2026, as a special day of prayer for this purpose. I shall be most grateful to every one of you, beloved brethren, if you could recite special prayers in all the parishes of the Archdiocese at Sunday Mass on that day and offer prayers at home too for the success of these investigations. The special prayer for truth and justice for the victims of the bomb attacks, already approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, could also be recited. I call upon all our Catholic devotees to join us in this effort.

Let us stand together firmly behind the efforts to find out the truth. Let us not be deceived by attempts of different people to hide the truth or divert attention in all kinds of directions in order to confuse the public.

May the Blessed Mother, our Lady of Lanka, intercede for us in this most important matter.

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