Two Joint Opposition MPs file petitions against State Lands Bill

Two petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court stating that certain Articles in the State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill are against the Constitution and seeking a court order calling for two-third majority consent of the members of the Parliament as well as a referendum to pass the Bill.

The petitions were filed by Joint Opposition Parliamentarians Udaya Gammanpila and Sisira Jayakody against the State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill, which was recently tabled in the Parliament by the government.

The Attorney General has been cited as the respondent of the petitions.

The petitioners claim that the State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill has proposed to transfer the ownership of the lands to license-holding landowners.

Although the proposals appear to be progressive, the government’s intention of passing this Bill is to procure lands for the proposed economic belt from Trincomalee to Colombo that is to be jointly established with the United States of America, the petitioners have alleged.

They further argue that the government has not obtained the views of the provincial councils across the country before tabling the State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill to the Parliament although it is mandatory to do so.

The petitioners claim that the State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill violates most of the fundamental rights in the Constitution.