Oct 06, Colombo: A report by Sri Lanka Auditor General's office says that around 50,000 acres of land belong to Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute have been squatted by various unscrupulous individuals including politicians.

The land squatted includes 43,600 acres of St. Jorkim estate in Nuwara Eliya in the hill country. Some of the lands are of very high commercial value and some persons have built permanent buildings on this land, the report says.

A large land of St. Coombs Estate that belongs to the Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute has also been squatted, the report says.

According to the surveyor plans drawn in 2005, the Tea Research Institute owns 355,210.5 acres of land.

The Auditor General's report has questioned the failure of the authorities to take any measures against the squatters while illegally occupying the land has caused great loss to the income of the Tea Research Institute.