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Temples losing their land: Title Registration Act to be amended
The Title Registration Act No 21 of 1998 under which the ‘Bim Saviya’ programme is implemented, is to be amended so that its provisions do not conflict with those of the Buddhist Temporalities Act of 1931. Protests have been made by the Maha Sangha that temple land has been alienated to unauthorised persons as a result of surveys conducted by the Surveyor General’s office.
This lapse was pointed out by the Asgiriya Mahanayake the Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Thera, when Chief Justice Mohan Pieris opened the Kandy District Court for hearing of cases relating to temple land.The Mahanayake told the Chief Justice that the Survey Department is alienating land gifted to temples by the ancient kings. He said very soon temples would have no land except that on which the buildings are standing.
Meanwhile, the Pattini Devale Basnayake Nilame Rohan Paranagama presented a memorandum to the Asgiriya Mahanayake and the Malwatte Mahanayake the Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera, setting out the conflicting clauses in the Title Registration Act by which the temples are losing land gifted to them by the ancient kings of Kandy for the sustenance of Buddhism.
Following this move, the two Mahanayakes had submitted a memorandum to the President pointing out the anomalies and giving a detailed historical account of the Buddhist Temporalities Act. A discussion had then been held at Temple Trees, between Gamini Senarath, Chief Executive of the Presidential Secretariat and officers of the Survey and Buddhist Affairs Departments at which the Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela and the Pattini Devale Basnayake Nilame Rohan Paranagama were present.
It had been decided then that the Title Registration Act No: 21 of 1998 be sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department for amendment so that it did not conflict with the provisions of the Buddhist Temporalities Act.