In Order to regulate the land use in Sri Lanka a collective approach is needed by the relevant Departments / Institutions. Hence land use planning committees at different levels such as National, District, Divisional and Village levels have to be established.
District Land Use Planning Committee has been functioned according to the guidance given by LUPPD. The committee is chaired by District Secretary/GA. District Land Use Planning Officer acts as the secretary of the committee. The committee usually gathers minimum of once in three months. However, GA can call upon additional committee meetings when it is necessary.
When the committee has to take a decision on a critical issue GA can appoint a subcommittee consisted of relevant committee members in order to undertake special studies on the issue.
- Identify and report the availability of unused lands in the District.
- Determine the priorities of the development activities of the field of land use planning.
- Identification of areas for future developments in urban and rural sectors.
- Identification of lands and make recommendations to release them for various development activities in the District.
- Convey the information about district level major land use issues to the National level Land Use Planning Committee.
- Give necessary inputs to the land use plans at divisional and village levels.
- Establish a land use information system at the district level for land use planning.
- Monitoring the implementation of land use plans.
- Coordinate land use activities of the various institutions.
- Discuss and finalize the recommendations of the divisional land use plans.
- District Secretary/GA. (Chair person)
- Divisional Secretaries.
- District Land Use Planning Officer. (Secretary)
- Provincial Land Commissioner/ Assistant Commissioner.
- Deputy Director. (Agriculture Extension)
- District Forest Officer.
- Survey Superintendent.
- Assistant Commissioner-Agrarian Services.
- Irrigation Deputy Director.
- Assistant Commissioner Local Government.
- Assistant Director Export Crops.
- Manager, Tea small Holding Authority.
- Deputy Director, Rubber Development Department.
- Divisional Manager, Coconut Cultivation Board.
- Assistant Director, Central Environment Authority.
GA can nominate additional members from other Departments/Institutions when it is necessary. The target in year 2014 was 68 Districts Land Use Planning Committees and 59 committees were held. For each committee meeting Rs.3000/- was allocated.
Divisional Level Land Use Planning Committee
Divisional level land use planning committees have been functioned with directions of District level land use planning committee of the respective district. Land use planning activities in the division are undertaken with the coordination of the divisional level committee. Divisional Secretary of the division chair the committee and land use planning assistant carry out the secretarial and coordination work of the committee.
- Assist the preparation of divisional level land use plans and implementation process.
- Identification of priority areas of land utilization.
- Identification of land use issues, provide recommendations and forward to the district committee If necessary.
- Prepare an action plan based on the land use planning recommendations for short term and long term basis. This plan should be included to the Divisional level annual plan.
- Make recommendations to the National and district level committees when it is necessary.
- Make recommendations for land alienation.
- Make recommendations for land acquisition.
- Provide guidelines and directions to village level land use planning committees.
- Identification of lands in the division for future development activities.
- Provide recommendations for allocation o lands for various uses based on the land suitability.
- Establish land data base at divisional level and link with district data base.
- Divisional Secretary. (Chairperson)
- Land Use Planning Assistant. (Secretary)
- Land Officer / Colonization Officer.
- Agriculture Instructor.
- Divisional officer-Agrarian Service.
- Range Forest Officer.
- Assistant Superintendent of Survey.
- Extension Officer. (Tea/Coconut/Rubber)
- Livestock Development Instructor.
- Environment Officer.
- Representative of the Farmer Organizations.
- Representatives from plantation sector.
- Representatives of relevant NGOs.
For each committee Rs. 1500/- was allocated for the Refreshments. In some divisions this committee was held along with Divisional Agricultural committee. Therefore, total allocation had not been fully utilized.