- Ministry will handle the matter internally: Ministry Secretary
Divisional secretaries and assistant divisional secretaries have formally raised concerns with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation over what they describe as repeated interference in land administration by the Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation.
The Association of Divisional Secretaries and Assistant Divisional Secretaries, in a letter addressed to Ministry Secretary D.P. Wickremasinghe (seen by The Sunday Morning), stated that it had received reports of several instances in which the Deputy Minister’s Private Secretary had issued letters and exerted influence on divisional secretaries in relation to land matters.
The deputy ministerial portfolio was earlier held by Susil Ranasinghe, who is now Minister of Housing, Construction, and Water Supply. Aravinda Senarath Witharana assumed duties as Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation on 13 October 2025, following the Cabinet reshuffle last year.
According to the telephone directory published on the Irrigation Department’s website, a Private Secretary to Deputy Minister Ranasinghe is listed.
According to the letter, the Private Secretary had on several occasions contacted divisional secretaries directly and forwarded correspondence concerning land administration.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, the association’s President R. Senthil alleged that instructions were being issued in a manner that bypassed established legal protocols and the authority of the Land Commissioner General.
He claimed that letters had been sent to divisional secretaries across multiple districts requesting reports on certain land management matters, particularly those related to land disputes. Senthil questioned the legal basis for such requests.
“He does not have the authority. That is our position. When someone without legal power attempts to intervene, it creates further complications,” Senthil charged, adding that in certain instances even directives issued by the Land Commissioner General were allegedly being asked to be amended.
“The Land Commissioner General is the highest authority with regard to land-related matters. How can this individual ask us to bypass the Commissioner General’s instructions?” Senthil questioned.
A key point of contention, according to the association, is the official status of the individual identifying himself as the Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister. Senthil said uncertainty remained as to whether the individual held a formally recognised appointment, yet letters were being issued under that designation in connection with ongoing land disputes.
He cited an instance involving a land dispute between a mother and her son, where the individual was allegedly seen as taking a position and requesting a report in a manner that could influence the outcome.
Senthil also referred to a previous incident involving Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, in which a name had been allegedly misused to facilitate the issuance of 76 passports by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, pointing to what he described as a pattern of concerns regarding identity and authority.
The association further alleged that the interventions had extended to active legal proceedings. In Nuwara Eliya, where divisional secretaries are empowered to initiate legal action against unauthorised land encroachments, inquiries had reportedly been made by the Private Secretary requesting that such cases be halted.
He suggested that certain interventions appeared to be politically motivated rather than grounded in legal necessity.
In its letter, the association requested the establishment of a formal mechanism to prevent adverse political interference in land administration.
It proposed that public representations made to the Minister or Deputy Minister regarding land matters be referred to divisional secretaries through an additional secretary, senior assistant secretary, or another designated official under the supervision of the Ministry Secretary.
The association warned that when political authorities issued letters supporting only one party to a dispute, and individuals presented such letters at divisional secretaries’ offices, it became difficult to ensure transparent and impartial decision-making. This, it noted, risked eroding public confidence in the State administrative system.
When contacted, Ministry Secretary Wickramasinghe confirmed that he had received the letter.
He said that the subject Minister and Deputy Minister had been informed of the concerns and that the matter would be addressed internally.
“It is not directly relevant to the ministry. The Minister and Deputy Minister have been made aware. According to the information I have received, they will handle it internally and take appropriate steps. Staff members attached to a minister or deputy minister cannot interfere with such activities,” Wickramasinghe said.
Multiple attempts to contact Deputy Minister Witharana for comment were unsuccessful.
When contacted, the said Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister said the matter would likely be discussed between the ministry leadership and the Ministry Secretary.
“They (divisional secretaries) allege that there is political influence. They have requested a mechanism. I think the Minister will have discussions with the Ministry Secretary and address the matter. I believe that is how it will be handled. I do not know much about it,” he claimed.