Remaining flats will be issued after verifying 15,000 forms: Minister

The government of Maldives announced the eligible 1,820 applicants for the 4,000 flats under the Gedhoruveryiyaa Scheme, revealing that the remaining flats would only be allocated after verifying some 15,000 forms.

The announcement was made by Construction Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthhalib, during a press conference held at the President's Office.

Speaking to reporters, Muthhalib said the government decided to review the remaining forms and allocate the flats based on a point system.

He went onto say that about 20,000 people submitted their forms for the scheme, and that the government would work to authenticate the remaining 15,000.

"What about the flats given to ineligible applicants? More than 20,000 applicants applied for the scheme. The best way to give the remaining flats was discussed within the government and it was decided to verify the rest of the forms like the list determined for flats [announced today], and then allocate flats based on a point system," he explained.

“So, the next task will be to verify the remaining 15,000 forms and give points,” Muthhalib also added.

He went on to say that this would be done after deadline for submitting complaints to the list announced today expired. The government has decided to give the complaint submission process a month.

But he did not say how long the work itself would take.

From the original list of eligible applicants announced by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration, only 1,820 were deemed qualified.

At the time, three room apartments were to be given to applicants who got more than 76 points. Any remaining three bedroom apartments were to be decided on by draw amongst those who scored 75 points, and 2 bedrooms apartments needed a minimum of 73 points to be eligible.

The list, released a day before the then presidential term ended, named 3,721 people as eligible for three-bedroom apartments and 1,218 for two-bedroom apartments.

However, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) stopped the flat project and ordered it to be verified, claiming 60 percent of the those individuals had not met the criteria.

After the verification, Muthhalib said 8 percent of the individuals named as eligible on the original list had not even submitted any documents. From that list, 2,695 forms were declared ineligible and 424 were removed from the list of flat recipients due to a change in their points.

Many people had, at the time, prepared documents containing false information from the local councils to get the flats given to people who have lived in the Malé for over 15 years, he accused.