A parliamentary oversight committee has called for modernizing Sri Lanka's land administration through a unified digital system, citing the need to reduce fraud and improve transparency across multiple state institutions.

A sectoral oversight committee in Parliament has recommended the introduction of a comprehensive digital land management system to address longstanding issues of fraud and land misuse in Sri Lanka. The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability, chaired by Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, held discussions focused on modernizing how the country manages land administration and property records.

Parliamentary officials highlighted that integrating all land-related information into a single centralized database would help prevent forged deeds and unauthorized use of state lands. Such a system would consolidate critical details including ownership records, boundary demarcation, and land classifications across government institutions. Officials suggested that implementing GPS-based coordinates within this national digital framework could significantly reduce property-related disputes and fraudulent transactions.

The committee identified coordination gaps among key state bodies responsible for land management, including the Land Reform Commission, the Mahaweli Authority, and the Janatha Estates Development Board. These agencies currently operate with varying degrees of information-sharing, creating vulnerabilities in land administration. The committee emphasized that addressing these institutional gaps through improved coordination would be essential for the success of any new digital system.

Beyond technological solutions, the committee recommended that Sri Lanka implement complementary legal and administrative reforms to support the modernization effort. Officials stressed that a multifaceted approach combining digital infrastructure, stronger institutional coordination, and updated regulatory frameworks would be necessary to achieve greater transparency and efficiency in the land sector.