Sri Lanka, May 12 -- A Cabinet subcommittee has stepped in to provide a permanent solution to long-standing land issues faced by residents in the Welimada, Uva Paranagama and Hali-Ela Divisional Secretariat areas, which arose due to the Uma Oya Development Project.

Following objections by the area residents to earlier land valuation assessments, the government has decided to implement compensation based on a revised scientific valuation process.

As part of the first phase of the programme, over Rs. 300 million has been allocated to compensate 246 individuals who lost their lands during the construction of reservoirs under the project.

In the preliminary stage, compensation cheques worth Rs. 1.2 million each were issued today (12) to 73...