Why Is the Government Not Allocating Land to Landless Hill Country People? Mano Ganesan Asks
07-Nov-2026.
Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader Mano Ganesan has questioned why the government, which is taking steps to allocate unused plantation lands to private companies, has failed to take similar measures to provide land to landless people in the Hill Country.
He alleged that although the government had promised to distribute land among the Hill Country community, it had failed to allocate even an inch of land to them despite two years having passed.
He made these remarks on November 6, 2026, while commenting on the land rights issue affecting the Hill Country community.
Elaborating on the matter, he said:
"In the Hill Country Charter issued by the Tamil Progressive Alliance in 2022, we emphasised that unused plantation lands should be distributed among Hill Country youth.
"The Memorandum of Understanding we entered into with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa ahead of the Presidential Election was also based on this Hill Country Charter. The leader and deputy leaders of our alliance signed that agreement.
"Similarly, the Hatton Declaration of the National People's Power in 2023 contained a commitment to provide unused plantation lands to the Hill Country community. However, even after two years and despite assuming office, this government has failed to allocate even an inch of land to landless Hill Country people.
"On the other hand, poor and landless Hill Country families who attempted to settle on unused plantation lands by putting up huts were subjected to attacks. Following my intervention and raising the issue in Parliament, discussions were held within the Parliamentary complex with the Minister of Public Security, the IGP, Deputy Inspectors General of Police and estate managers.
"Against this backdrop, the government's Plantation Ministry is now taking steps to allocate those very same unused plantation lands to private companies.
"As the leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, I raised this contradiction in Parliament two days ago and tabled the letter I had sent to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. I have also requested the President to provide an explanation in his policy statement scheduled to be delivered on November 12.
"Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of the Plantation Ministry Sundaralingam has stated that his Ministry is taking steps to allocate land to private companies with Cabinet approval. This statement has brought to light the authority vested in him within the Ministry.
"However, the issue here is not whether Cabinet approval has been granted to allocate land to private companies. That is not what we are questioning. Our question is this: If unused plantation lands can be allocated to private companies, why can they not be allocated to landless Hill Country people?
"Did you not make repeated public promises that land would be allocated to the Hill Country community? Why have you failed to fulfil those promises even after making them? Who are you trying to deceive, comrades?"
Mano Ganesan further questioned.
