Introduction to Land Development Department

               The Land Development Department (LDD) was established by three Acts of Parliament on 23rd May 1963 under the purview of the Ministry of National Development. The acts were published in the Government Gazette on 22nd May 1963.
               In 1972., the government dissolved the Ministry of National Development and restructured the administration by a Revolutionary Proclamation. On 29th September 1972 the Land Development Department was transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
               The Land Development Department Act was published in the Government Gazette on 6th October 1983. The Act was amended in 2008, and the amended Act was officially published in the Government Gazette on 5th February 2008.
               Under the 2008 Act, the Land Development Department has the duty to conduct soil surveys and analyses as a basis for establishing land classification and utilization maps, land development, and to define land use areas, and soil and water conservation areas according to a land census. Under the Act, the Land Development Department in responsible for collection of statistics as a basis for conductiong land censuses.