Minister Muththalib urges parliamentary solution for State land allocation

Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has stated today that the accepts that granting State land for residential purposes is not a permanent solution, and urged the parliament to find an alternative solution.

Ruling People's National Congress (PNC) MP for Thulusdhoo Ahmed Naseem posed a question to the minister in today's parliamentary sitting, stating it is not a feasible solution to housing issues to provide State land. He said that the issue of granting State land has strong arguments both for and against the practice, and asked the minister whether he has plans to change the current policy.

The Minister responded that granting State land for residential purposes is quite a unique practice common in Maldives, but that he alone, as Minister, does not have the power to change a policy which has been in practice since the distant past.

Minister Muththalib agreed with MP Naseem that this is not a permanent solution to the housing crisis, and appealed to the parliament to come up with an alternative solution.

During the previous administration, then Housing Minister Mohamed Aslam also said in parliament that providing State land for residential purposes is not a sustainable solution.

However, the administration went on to introduce the Binveriya housing scheme, which saw land being granted from GulhiFalhu, GiraavaruFalhu and Hulhumale'.