Thoddoo Council has said the cancellation of the island’s residential register will not prevent the family of Abdul Sattar from obtaining land in the island.

Council President Adam Naveen said the registry of Alifu Alifu atoll Thoddoo was cancelled by the previous council as the number of people seeking registration on the island increased amid rising land prices.

Sattar, one of the sons of Ali Waheed Mohamed (Dhon Ali), told Mihaaru News that the cancellation of the family’s registration under the previous administration had caused significant losses and violated the rights of him and his three siblings.

Dhon Ali spent most of his life in India before returning to the Maldives in 2006.

However, Naveen said the cancellation of the family’s registration did not prevent them from acquiring land in Thoddoo.

He said the council had offered the family several options, including allocating 3,000 square feet of land to Jaufar, the eldest son.

“The previous council cancelled the register. The family [Dhon Ali’s family] is unhappy about the issue. I explained how it happened. The previous council decided to cancel the register because the price of land in Thoddoo had increased,” Naveen said.

Although the Thoddoo register was cancelled, Naveen said the family could still be included in the island’s register and therefore remain eligible to acquire land.

“We don’t know why the other members of the family are not included in the registry of the land given to their eldest brother Jaufar,” he said.

Naveen said the family had also complained about a lack of accommodation in Thoddoo, noting that the land allocated to Jaufar had been developed as a guesthouse rather than a home.

He said all members of the family, including Jaufar, currently live in rented accommodation in Thoddoo.

Sattar told Mihaaru News that the cancellation of the family’s registration had raised questions about the legal status of his identity card and those of his family members.

Naveen said the Department of National Registration had clarified the matter and that cancelling the island’s register did not create any such legal issue with their identity cards.