Falah: Award of land plots to Male’ residents the biggest corruption in history

Ruling PNC’s Parliamentary Group Leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, on Monday, has described how the former administration awarded land plots to Male’ residents as the biggest corruption in the history of Maldives.

Housing Minister Dr. Ali Haidar was summoned to the Parliament on Monday to answer questions over delays in the handover of housing awarded during the last administration. Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s MPs, discontent with the answers provided by the Minister, voiced their displeasure – resulting in loss of order within the chamber.

Speaking at PNC Parliamentary Group press conference following the sitting, Falah said creating a list and having over land are two different matters.

He stressed that the former administration had not handed over land plots, but rather formulated a list on a paper. In this regard, he said the land plots that were awarded back then had been from land that had yet to be reclaimed and therefore, described the award of land as corruption.

“I believe this to be one of the biggest corruption that has taken place in the history of Maldives,” he said.

Underscoring that the 1,000 square feet land plot is valued at approximately MVR 10 million, Falah said he does not believe awarding 9,100 such plots. He placed the value of land plots issued from Hulhumale’ alone at MVR 5.4 billion.

Henceforth, he emphasized the need to award land to everyone under the same policy.

“It is very easy to create a registry on a paper and hand it over,” Falah remarked, angered.

“Gulhifalhu, Giraavarufalhu; these are many places that have not been reclaimed. Land plots have been issued from Hulhumale’ – the mega land which was reclaimed at the expense of tax revenue received to the state, including from citizens – just a month or two ahead of the presidential elections,” he stressed.

Speaking further, Falah noted that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had already halted the issuance of land by the time the current administration assumed office. While strongly criticizing the housing policies of the former administration, he emphasized that it was not the current administration that halted the issuance of flats via ACC.

The previous government decided to issue 9,003 plots to 18,955 eligible recipients from the first round of the Binveriya Scheme. The plots were designated from Hulhumale', Gulhifalhu, and Giraavarufalhu.