Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that there is no valid reason for the three-month delay in the handover of Gedhoruveriya Housing Scheme units, and warned that if candidates aligned with the current Mohamed Muizzu administration win a majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the housing units allocated by his administration will be taken away from current beneficiaries and distributed to others.
Speaking at a campaign event on Friday for the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for West Maafannu, Mohamed Falah, Solih said that the people of Maafannu and Malé have been given various excuses by the current administration, so that the land allocated to them is withheld until the parliamentary elections.
President Muizzu is acting contrary to what he said during the presidential campaign, Solih said.
“During the campaign, he made it very clear that no Malé resident would need to give up their land to get a plot of land in Gulhifalhu or Giraavaru or Hulhumalé. However, the Housing Ministry has now sent a letter to the city council,” the former leader said.
Muizzu had said during the presidential campaign that the current beneficiaries, chosen while the Solih administration was in power, would not have to give up their land. However the Housing Ministry’s recent communique to the city council warning that should beneficiaries change the status of the land they chose to forfeit, as a precondition to qualifying for the Solih administration’s housing scheme, would see their Binveriya allocations rescinded has raised concern within some beneficiaries.
“They have been giving various excuses for not giving the land and flats to their rightful owners for three months. Today, we have seen another day pass. There is just no reason why this should not be done within three months,” Solih said.
He said that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) should be given a majority to put the current administration on the right track and prevent the seizure of land and flats.
In addition, Solih said the government has been unable to change the land and flat lists because the MDP has a majority in parliament.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been investigating alleged irregularities in the allocation of land and flats under Binveriya and Gedhoruveriya schemes.