The Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (MNPHI) has stopped all activities related to the issuance of housing flats under the Gedhoruveriya scheme for now as per the order of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The ministry on Thursday noon, November 16, released a statement confirming that it has complied to the commission's demands.
However, it was reported earlier that despite the commission's order, the ministry had continued to issue registry documents to the confirmed recipients.
An official from Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) said that the flat sale agreement signing has been planned for later, though a date has not been specified yet.
The official added it was currently signing with the recipients to allocate the flats designated for them.
The ministry's draw to assign the flats to eligible recipients was broadcast live on Yes TV on Wednesday evening, November 15.
The 'Flat Allocation Agreement' sent by FDC through the Gedhoruveriya portal includes the details of the flat number and type with the monthly rent amount.
FDC Managing Director Salafiyya Anwar had signed on the agreements sent to recipients via the portal.
The issuance has proceeded while the commission demanded from MNPHI not to conduct any activity related to it on the same evening.
The ministry had proceeded with the draw to assign flats until 3:30 a.m. on Thursday early hours.
ACC ordered the cease after the ministry had released the final recipients' list following the assessment of the public complaints during the five-day complaint window earlier.
The commission's investigation on the social housing issue, brought to light by public complaints, revealed that some of the recipients were awarded points in violation of the policy. The investigation further revealed that though the ministry had space to verify information provided by applicants, it did not assess the information for its validity.
With 13,000 applicants eligible for the social housing scheme, the highest scoring were selected for the 4,000 housing units developed by FDC. However, the issue has attracted significant criticism from the applicants, with majority of them claiming that the points were awarded against the policy.
The recipients with a score of 76 points and more will be awarded the three-bedroom units, and following the recent change, the remaining units from this category will be assigned to the recipients with 75 points through a draw.
Two-bedroom units of the scheme will be assigned to recipients scoring 73 points and above.
Government has set a monthly rent of MVR 8,000 inclusive of MVR 1,000 in maintenance fee for the three-bedroom units, and a rent of MVR 6,000, inclusive of the maintenance fee, for two-bedroom units.
Meanwhile, some of the recipients have alleged that the draw on Wednesday evening to designate flats was taken for an entirely different list, and not the permanent list publicized by the ministry.
A recipient who scored 97 points in the permanent list did not have her name appear on Wednesday evening's draw.
"The ministry has assured flats for those scoring 76 points and more. I was watching the draw live until its conclusion, but my name was not called," the recipient said.
It was also an allegation of the same recipient that the draw was a pretext to award the flats to individuals the ministry preferred, either through political affiliation or influence.
"Despite securing such a high score, being eliminated from receiving a flat in the first round is indicative that this whole thing is a sham, to award the flats to whom they wanted. The draw was not taken for the permanent list, but to their own list."
The draw was broadcast live on state-run Yes TV on Wednesday evening, but without any notice of its timing to the recipients. Each paper in the draw featured a barcode which reveals the allocated flat and tower upon scanning.
Another recipient who secured 76 points in the previous permanent list was not included in the draw on Wednesday, leading him to believe that the draw was not taken on the actual list the ministry publicized earlier.
"Flats should not be passed over to anyone without assigning to the recipients with the highest scores. When we complained about this, they said the issue is now on halt as per ACC's orders. But ACC had ordered a cessation on the matter despite which they proceeded with the draw," the recipient said.
The recipient said that he has been applying to every social housing scheme announced since former President Mohamed Nasheed's administration.
Another recipient by the forename of Ali had been living in Male' City for over 20 years, and applied for the scheme as well. He secured 84 points, and was another recipient not to get included in the people who received units on Wednesday's draw.
"My name is on all of those lists and the ministry has claimed that anyone with a score of 76 points or more will receive flats from the 4,000 units. But that is not the case here," he said.
Sign In
