The government has identified three expatriates who have become residents of Malé city in the list of people who have been allocated land free of cost. The government is taking steps to amend this issue.
Minister of State for Planning, Akram Kamaluddin, who chaired the land allotment committee, has acknowledged the presence of three individuals in the list of beneficiaries for land allotment in Malé city who are not eligible. This issue follows a previous concern raised regarding the inclusion of two Indian nationals on the list.
In response to accusations on social media suggesting that 10 foreigners were included in the list of beneficiaries, Akram clarified that such claims were false. He refuted the allegations by replying to a post with an image of the list that was being circulated online.
Akram noted that the provisional list was meant to identify any problems or discrepancies and that the necessary actions would be taken to rectify them. He further mentioned that once these issues are resolved, the permanent list of beneficiaries would be released.
According to Planning Minister Mohamad Aslam, the system initially failed to flag the Indian individual who was previously registered in another country. However, once this issue came to their attention, efforts were made to rectify the situation. As per the policy for land allotment in the Malé area, one of the criteria states that applicants should be citizens of Malé city.
According to the amendment made in September last year, a "citizen of Malé City" is defined as someone who has never been registered anywhere other than Malé city. However, the three individuals who encountered the problem did not meet this condition, which is why their names were identified in the list of beneficiaries and the issue is being addressed.
A total of 15,164 applications were received for land acquisition under the "Binveriyaa" or landowner scheme. This includes both single and joint applications, resulting in a total of 23,088 applicants. Among these, 12,794 applications met the criteria, totaling to 19,857 eligible applicants.
Out of the 19,857 eligible applicants, the list of beneficiaries has been gazetted, consisting of 10,314 individuals who were allotted plots in the first round. However, the government has stated that all eligible applicants for the scheme will eventually receive their plots in the near future, ensuring that everyone who meets the criteria will be accommodated.
According to the government, additional reclamation work is currently taking place in Hulhumalé for the purpose of allotting land. In addition to that, reclamation projects are also underway in Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru lagoons.
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