President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today inaugurated a programme to award land deeds to the families that have been living in state lands without any clear title deeds. Accordingly, deeds to some 20,000 persons selected through a legal process covering the entire island would be given under the first phase. At the Presidential Secretariat today, 19 families who were residing in state lands were handed over deeds by the President. The President’s Media Division said according to the ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ policy statement, the government aims to ensure that every family owns a land. “Under the provisions of the Land Development Ordinance and the Government Land Ordinance, grants will be awarded to 20,000 legally selected persons covering the entire island under the first phase,” it said. It further said that the grant recipients can use their land to build a house, for agricultural purposes, for other crops and for business. Land recipients are expected to contribute to the strengthening of the national economy through effective land use. This programme is more focused on the low income earners who make a living from farming. The government intends to give them direct power to increase their income level by transferring land ownership. The deed certificate, which is a grant from the President, is considered a freehold deed. The President stated that he expects to issue 100,000 deeds before the end of this year. The programme was jointly implemented by the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Mahaweli.