Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has called for assistance in evacuating a building obstructing road development under the Gan International Airport expansion project.

In a post on X, Minister Dr Muththalib stated that the inability to vacate the building has delayed the handover of the site to the contractor, jeopardising the project timeline. He warned that this may lead to compensation claims from the contractor, potentially resulting in financial losses for the state.

Due to the ongoing obstruction, Addu International Airport Private Limited has been instructed to inform the contractor of the Government’s intention to remove that section of the road from the current scope of work.

The building in question, along with the land it occupies, is owned by Addu International Airport Company. According to the Minister, nearly two years of efforts to relocate the occupants have failed, preventing the land from being handed over for construction.

Minister Dr Muththalib acknowledged the frustration of Addu residents and said that if the site can be cleared before April 17, the road construction will continue as originally planned. If not, the work will be postponed and carried out as a separate project once the land becomes available.

He expressed hope that with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the building would be vacated and the project allowed to proceed without further delay.