The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has denied claims made by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) that it had allocated the former Covid-19 facility in Hulhumalé to the authority.
Late in February, the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) said that HDC had temporarily given the Covid-19 facility to house the Criminal Court due to its current dilapidated state.
The HDC clarified that it had not officially allocated any plots to NDMA but that it was in discussions with the relevant authorities to allocate a plot and assured that it was working towards resolving the issue as soon as possible.
HDC’s Public Relations Manager Ahmed Mimrah said that the Covid-19 facility was last used as a temporary shelter for the expatriate workers who became homeless after the fire near Malé Neelan Fihaara. He also confirmed that the facility has now been handed over to the Criminal Court.
"The building was given to the Criminal Court temporarily for about a year and a half," Mimrah said.
The plot where the Covid-19 facility was established is located in front of Tree Top Hospital.
The National Disaster Management Authority was established after the 2004 tsunami. The authority had its office at the Rihijehi Koshi plot on Ameenee Magu in Malé; however, it also operated in other places, including school halls, the Malé Social Centre, Dharubaaruge, and the building of the Civil Service Commission.
The World Bank has already arranged funds to develop a disaster emergency operations centre as well.
Last December, NDMA had said that HDC promised to assign the Covid-19 facility to run the authority’'s office. HDC did not comment on the matter then.
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