Parliament rejects Hulhumale 10-storey building directive
When the report was put to vote in the house, 40 members voted against the committee's decision. A total of 19 members supported the decision.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Parliament on Tuesday decided not to execute a rule made in previous parliament that would allow construction of 10 storeys on all land allotted to the public for housing.
The 18th parliament passed the Hulhumale Planning and Construction Regulations on 27 November 2018, allowing construction up to 10 storeys on land allotted to the public for housing in Hulhumale. However, planning minister Mohamed Aslam refused to gazette the rule made by the parliament as it existed.
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Apart from the planning minister, HDC has also opposed the new rules
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The reason cited by the ministry is that Hulhumale is a planned city and there is a fear that if houses are suddenly allowed to rise, the population will increase and infrastructure will be compromised.
On 10 November, the parliament's regulations committee passed a resolution directing the ministry once again to gazette the rules. The report of the regulations committee was tabled for Tuesday.
When the report was put to vote on the floor on Tuesday, 40 members voted against the committee's decision. A total of 19 members supported the decision.
The parliament did not attain the approval to issue the regulation regarding construction of Hulhumale buildings to 10 storeys.
The committee concluded that while the planning ministry and HDC were unhappy with the rules, the parliamentary rules committee examined the matter and concluded that it was not the prerogative of the minister to halt the regulations from being gazetted. The committee had approved a directive to the Ministry to send the regulations to the President's Office within seven days of the parliament's approval of the report for gazetting.
Speaker Mohamed Nasheed criticised the minister for not implementing the parliament's decision on the issue. He said the minister had violated the law in this regard and demanded action.
Construction activities in Hulhumale are currently governed by a regulation gazetted by HDC in 2015. According to the rules, people's houses on Hulhumale lots can be built to six floors at the tallest.
