The Government Information Center

A land with antiquities will be declared as archaeological reserve even though it is a state or private land in order to minimize unauthorized cultivation, occupation and erections on it and also for its preservation.

Identification of the site

• Obtaining an observations report from the regional office
• Obtaining necessary designs and plans.

Regional office to confirm whither it is private land or state land.

• If a private land, confirmation of land owner’s possession.
• If a state land, to make enquiries from the establishment concerned.
• Obtaining plans and designs from the establishment concerned.
• Owner of the private land should consent to vest that land.
• Then compensation has to be paid to the said owner.
• Regional officer should obtain a valuation report for the purpose.
• Divisional Secretary should issue a Survey Order for the land.
• After obtaining the valuation report through the Divisional Secretary, approval of Secretary to the Ministry should be sought through the Head of the establishment.
• Request to be made on the prescribed form.
• If the compensation exceeds one million rupees, Minister’s approval should be obtained and if it exceeds further approval of the cabinet of Ministers should be obtained.
• Then Divisional Secretary should pay compensation and the notice for declaration of the land as an archaeological reserve should be prepared in three languages.
• After obtaining the Legal Draftsman’s approval the notice should be published through the government Press.
• If any objection is put forward , it will be taken into consideration.
• If the land is state land, approval of the Commissioner general of land should be obtained in collaboration with the institution to which the land belongs.
• Thereafter the land should be declared as reserve in the manner mentioned above.
• If any person occupies a land by force, it should be acquired by an order of ejectment.

Even in case of state lands, sometimes payment has to be made to certain institutions. The above procedure has to be followed in such instances as well.

Several State institutions are connected with this work.

1. Divisional Secretariat
2. Provincial Council
3. Prodesheeya sabha
4. Mahaveli Authority
5. Land Commissioner’s Department
6. Land Reforms Commissioner
7. Department or Forest Conservation
8. Department of Wild life Conservation
9. Land Ministry