Ihalapathirana v. Bulankulame, Director General, U.D.A. – sllr 1988 volume 1 page 416

In Ihalapathirana v. Bulankulame, the court addressed the applicability of the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act to an individual occupying state-owned premises under a contractual agreement as a Rest House manager. It was determined that the statutory procedure for recovery of state land possession applies even where occupation arises from a contractual relationship, thereby not limiting the State’s recourse to only civil action in such cases. The underlying principle reaffirmed is that the broad statutory definitions of “State Land” and “unauthorized possession” encompass contractual occupants whose rights have terminated. The decision relied on statutory interpretation and relevant case law, emphasizing that the Act’s expedited recovery procedures are available to the State in su