Maldives government proposes resolve to conflict ridden land use plans of islands by easing its approval procedure.
Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mr. Mohamed Aslam assures the plan will now proceed under various phases of approval instead of the entire project execution. The minister made the confirmation at the ongoing 'Viavathi Raajje' conference in Laamu atoll.
The conference brought together council presidents of southern atolls, government dignitaries. Others attending the conference include presidents of respective Women's Development Committees and other key stakeholders.
According to the Decentralization Act of the Maldives, members of the council must complete land use and development plans within three months of appointment. However, the current council had fallen short of producing a completed land use plan well over a year into their appointment.
The land use plan will come into effect after public approval, which is preceded by the approval of Ministry of National Planning (MNPHI). Moreover, amendments to the plan must follow through the same approval protocols.
Due to the strict approval standard of the ministry, even minute issues in the plan are subject to complete rejection. Resolving the issues highlighted by the ministry generally consume significant time, which results in the subsequent delay.
Mr. Aslam assures the ministry's decision of approving the correct components of the plan is aimed at alleviating public frustrations over the delays. The minister also asserted part approval of the plan does not amount to complete approval of the entire land use plan.
The issue was further highlighted by several other councils at the conference. Furthermore, the concerns surrounding land use plan delays remain among the most discoursed topic in these conferences.
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