Registries issued for over 800 Gulhi Falhu plots

Housing Ministry has issued land registries for over 800 plots in Gulhi Falhu allocated under the Binveriya housing scheme.

The ministry revealed that as of today, land registries have been issued to 843 recipients.

After revisions to the Gulhi Falhu Land Use Plan, registries for plots allocated via draw are being distributed at the grounds of the former Housing Ministry.

Changes introduced by the incumbent government to the Gulhi Falhu Land Use Plan, initially formulated by the previous administration, include replacing earlier plot allocations from Giraavaru Falhu with new ones from Gulhi Falhu. Hence, the previous registrations were voided, and a draw taken again to allocate new plots.

The Housing Ministry started accepting applications for new registries from July 1. However, some recipients are refusing to sign the new agreement, citing discrepancies between the new agreement and the policies on issuing land.

In an announcement released in response, the Housing Ministry stated that although land registries had previously been issued to those receiving land from Giraavaru Falhu, the location of plots in Gulhi Falhu has changed now due to changes brought for various reasons to the Gulhi Falhu Land Use Plan.

The location of the plots being allocated were determined through a new draw.

The ministry also noted that certain provisions in the earlier agreement were found to be in violation of the Land Act.

Article 11(a) of the Land Act states, "State dwellings shall be issued to Maldivian citizens who do not have a state dwelling or a private dwelling or a flat from a government constructed building or from a co- owned building or a part of a state or private dwelling that has been divided in accordance with section 15 of this Act. However this Act shall not prohibit the issuing of a state dwelling to a person who relinquishes his/her ownership of a part of a state or private dwelling that has been divided in accordance with section 15 of this Act or relinquishes his/her ownership of a flat from a government constructed building or from a co-owned building or on a condition that the person relinquishes his/her ownership of the aforesaid properties."

Article 11(c) of the Land Act states, "No person shall be issued with more than one dwelling in a particular island however an additional dwelling can be issued at another island for residential purposes on a lease specified by the government in accordance with the regulations made under this Act".

Due to this, under the new agreements, instead of declaring they have no State property in Male', recipients have to declare they have no State property in any area of Maldives.

This, however, contradicts the policies on issuing land from the Male' area under Binveriya scheme, which was gazetted on June 26, 2022. This policy conditions that land under the size of 600sqft in the Male' area be relinquished.

The ministry is seeking a solution through deliberations with the Attorney General's Office, they reiterated in Wednesday's statement.