The Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Abdulla Muththalib, has announced that the Government has revised the agreements related to land allotment under the Binveriya housing scheme to resolve inconsistencies with the Land Act.

Minister Dr Muththalib underscored that all agreements entered into by the State must comply fully with the law, following concerns raised over recent amendments to land allotment agreements for plots in Gulhifalhu.

In a post shared on X, the Minister clarified that the revisions were made to ensure alignment with Article 11 of the Land Act, which establishes the legal framework for the allocation of state-owned land for residential purposes. To reinforce this point, he attached a screenshot of the relevant legal provision.

According to Article 11(a) of the Land Act, state dwellings may only be issued to Maldivian citizens who do not already own a state dwelling, a private dwelling, a flat within a Government-constructed building, or part of a co-owned building that has been legally divided under Section 15 of the same Act. However, the law permits the issuance of a state dwelling to individuals who relinquish such ownership, or agree to do so, as a condition for receiving the new allocation.

Additionally, Article 11(c) stipulates that no individual may be granted more than one dwelling on the same island. Nonetheless, the law allows for an additional dwelling to be issued on a different island for residential purposes, under a lease arrangement specified by the Government in accordance with regulations established under the Act.

To bring these legal provisions into effect, Minister Dr Muththalib confirmed that the agreements for land plots issued under the Binveriya scheme have been revised. A key change requires recipients to declare that they do not own any state property anywhere in the Maldives, rather than limiting the declaration to Malé, as was previously the case. This new requirement, however, appears to contradict the existing policies governing land allocation in the Malé area, which were formally gazetted on June 26, 2022.

The Housing Ministry announced on July 1, that recipients may now apply for new land registries, which are being issued following the decision to void previous registrations. This measure follows adjustments made to the Gulhifalhu land use plan, which required a comprehensive reallocation of plots.

The ongoing land reclamation project in Gulhifalhu began in July last year and was awarded to the Dutch company Boskalism under a contract valued at USD 120 million (MVR 2 billion). The previous administration had planned to allocate 2,000 land plots, but this number has since been increased to 3,520 plots by the current Government. This expanded allocation also includes individuals who had originally been granted land in Giraavarufalhu but subsequently requested to switch to plots in Gulhifalhu.

While the former administration conducted an initial draw for the allocation of plots, the current Government carried out a new draw after making significant changes to the land use plan, which altered the location of some plots. This decision, aimed at ensuring better planning, has nevertheless attracted criticism from the opposition.

The Government explained that the original land use plan lacked adequate provision for essential public services and was marred by encroachments, including in areas not designated for development. To rectify these issues, the land use plan for Gulhifalhu has undergone three separate revisions.

The Government has now commenced the formal signing of the revised agreements with recipients and the issuance of updated land registries. The registration process is being conducted strictly by appointment, with applicants required to schedule their submissions through the Shelter Portal, where comprehensive guidance and documentation requirements are available.