Settlement Authority Establishment Proclamation No. 78/1976.

An autonomous public authority is established to take care of persons that have little or no land, the utilization of idle lands, the alleviation of unemployment, and the conservation of forest, soil and water resources in consultation with appropriate Government agencies. Powers and duties of the Authority are set out in section 6. The Authority shall have a Board consisting of specified ministers and a General Manager, the duties of which are set out in section 11. Section 13 specifies criteria for eligibility for the benefits of the settlement programme. Settlement shall take on unoccupied lands and on lands indicated by the Authority under section 13 with the consent of the Government.