The Gulhifalhu Citizens’ Association, a collective of residents who received land plots through the Binveriya housing scheme, has levelled serious allegations against the Mohamed Muizzu administration, claiming that efforts are underway to strip them of their land plots.
The Binveriya scheme, initiated during the previous Ibrahim Mohamed Solih administration, aimed to provide housing solutions for Malé residents. While official deeds were issued to recipients, the land plots have yet to be handed over to them due to ongoing reclamation work on Gulhifalhu.
In a strongly worded social media post, the association accused government-aligned lawmakers of concocting excuses to withhold land ownership rights from Gulhifalhu recipients. They warn that continued delays in handing over the land plots could lead to protests.
“We condemn in the strongest terms attempts to take away the respite we received after 40 long years,” the association declared. “We call upon all members to protest against lawmakers trying to strip us of our rights.”
These developments follow Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abbas’s call for the Muizzu administration to revoke land plots issued from reclaimed lagoons. Abbas, also the vice president of the government-aligned Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), argues that there is no legal basis for issuing land plots from unreclaimed areas.
During a parliamentary debate on the Urban Development Bill, Abbas urged the Muizzu administration to cancel land deeds issued by the Solih government from Gulhifalhu. The association responded by warning that such actions would hinder their birthright and vowed to take to the streets in protest.
MP Abbas’s stance echoes similar sentiments expressed by senior officials of President Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC). PNC members have consistently advocated cancelling land deeds issued from Gulhifalhu and Giraavarufalhu.
The PNC’s parliamentary group leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, even alleged corruption by President Solih in distributing 9,003 land plots through the Binveriya scheme, covering Hulhumalé, Gulhifalhu, and Giraavarufalhu.
