Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has stated that 976 couples who previously received flats under earlier housing schemes have been granted flats under the  Gedhoruveriya Scheme.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister Dr Muththalib stated that there is no legal mechanism to remove the names of these couples from the list, as existing housing regulations do not permit such exclusions. He noted that the list of beneficiaries from the previous government’s housing schemes, formulated on 15 November 2023, is currently under review.

The Minister highlighted that the policy of repeatedly allocating flats to the same families is unacceptable, as it deprives many eligible households of the opportunity to access affordable housing. Of the 976 couples listed for repeated allocation, 645 had scored 76 marks or above under the original criteria.

Minister Dr Muththalib explained that the Ministry had explored all possible avenues to reallocate the flats to families who had not benefited from previous housing programmes. He added that discussions had been held with the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), but no lawful means were found to prevent the allocations from proceeding.

The Minister emphasised that from the perspective of social justice, granting multiple flats to the same couple under separate government housing schemes is unfair to other deserving applicants. He reaffirmed that the government remains committed to ensuring housing assistance reaches those most in need.

Minister Dr Muththalib clarified that, under the current scheme, only one couple will receive flats jointly, and reiterated that all future allocations would be carried out with fairness, transparency, and adherence to the law.