Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2022-06-20

Providing Railway reservations on temporary basis for cultivation

- The total railway reservations belonging to the Sri Lanka Railway is approximately 14,000 acres in extent, out of which about 10% lands has been provided for various purposes on lease basis. It has been identified as suitable to provide the lands which are not urgently required for the development activities of the Department of Railways and those suitable for cultivation which are allotted as railway reserves in the vicinity of railway tracks and stations, from the rest of reserves for the use of cultivation on temporary lease basis. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Minister of Transport & Highways to take necessary action to provide those lands, on lease basis for a period of one year, giving priority to the farmers already engaged in the cultivation of the relevant areas and residents near by railway tracks and low income families, was approved by the Cabinet.