Draft:Land Reform Commission

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Instructions · What links here · Land Reform Commission (talk: + · bio) · (log) · Copyvios report · reFill · Citation Bot · (Search: Google, Wikipedia) · Submitted 37 days ago by Merline303 (talk: D · +) · Last edited 28 days ago by Merline303

The Land Reform Commission (LRC) is a government agency in Sri Lanka established in 1972 under the Land Reform Law No. 1 of 1972. The LRC was set up by the United Front government led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to manage the land taken over by the government under the Land Reform Law in 1972 and 1975. As of 2021, the LRC owned 1,7 million acres of land.^[1]

Land acquisitions

Following the formation of the LRC in late 1972, land in excess of the stipulated ceiling of 50 acres of cultivated land and 25 acres of paddy land was registered by owners.^[2] Of this 563,411 acres of land was acquired by the LRC within the first two years as part of the first phase. In the second phase of acquisition in 1975, under the Land Reform (Amendment) Law of 1975, allowed for the takeover of plantations owned by foreign companies, leading to a significant nationalisation of the plantation sector.^[3] LRC took over 417,957 acres; brining the total acquired land by the LRC to 1,000,000 acres or 22% of the land under agriculture, making the LRC the single largest landowner in the country.^[4]^[5] LRC formed a Compensations Board to negotiated compensation for payment in cash or in reform bonds.^[4]

Land distribution

Plantation estates were transferred to the State Plantation Corporation, People's Estate Development Board and the Up-Country Cooperative Estate under the State Agricultural Corporations Act of 1972; while some lands were given to Electoral Cooperatives and Land Reform Cooperatives. 12% of the land was distributed to landless by the LRC by the 1980s.^[4] A major program in land reform was Cooperative Settlements, which numbered around 165 across 48,000 acres, employing 17,000.^[6]

Land grants

Successive governments have utilized the LRC to provide land grants to the landless under the titles

Swarnabhoomi land deeds
Jayabhoomi land deeds
Isurubhoomi land deeds
Himikama land deeds^[7]^[8]

References

^ "COPE reveals that the Land Reforms Commission has confirmed 214 employees in 2018 without the permission of the Management Services Department". parliament.lk. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
^ Land Reform Law No. 1 of 1972. Ceylon Government Gazette, Government of Ceylon. 1972.
^ Shastri, A. (1997). "The Material Basis for Separatism: The Tamil Eelam Movement in Sri Lanka". The Journal of Asian Studies. 56 (1): 66–95.
^ ^a ^b ^c Peiris, G. H. (October 1978). "Land Reform and Agrarian Change in Sri Lanka". Modern Asian Studies. 12 (4): 611–628. doi:10.1017/S0026749X0000634X. ISSN 1469-8099.
^ Snodgrass, D.R. (1996). Economic Development of Sri Lanka'. Washington, D.C.: USAID.
^ Amerasinghe, Nihal (1976). "An Overview of Settlement Schemes in Sri Lanka". Asian Survey. 16 (4): 620–36.
^ "LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE IN ACTION" (PDF). harti.gov.lk. Hector Kobbekaduwa. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
^ "'Himikama' kicks off today". srilankamirror.com. Retrieved 1 September 2025.

External links

Land Reform Commission

[1] "COPE reveals that the Land Reforms Commission has confirmed 214 employees in 2018 without the permission of the Management Services Department". parliament.lk. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 September 2025.

[2] Land Reform Law No. 1 of 1972. Ceylon Government Gazette, Government of Ceylon. 1972.

[3] Shastri, A. (1997). "The Material Basis for Separatism: The Tamil Eelam Movement in Sri Lanka". The Journal of Asian Studies. 56 (1): 66–95.

[Peiris-4] Peiris, G. H. (October 1978). "Land Reform and Agrarian Change in Sri Lanka". Modern Asian Studies. 12 (4): 611–628. doi:10.1017/S0026749X0000634X. ISSN 1469-8099.

[5] Snodgrass, D.R. (1996). Economic Development of Sri Lanka'. Washington, D.C.: USAID.

[6] Amerasinghe, Nihal (1976). "An Overview of Settlement Schemes in Sri Lanka". Asian Survey. 16 (4): 620–36.

[7] "LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE IN ACTION" (PDF). harti.gov.lk. Hector Kobbekaduwa. Retrieved 1 September 2025.

[8] "'Himikama' kicks off today". srilankamirror.com. Retrieved 1 September 2025.

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