Government mulls partial approval for island land use plans to ease challenges

One of the main concerns councillors from central atolls expressed at the 'Viavathi Raajje' symposium that was held in AA. Ukulhas in late May was the challenges in approving their island land use plans. The land use planning, which includes a development plan and a land use plan prepared by the councils, has always been a challenge for councillors. This includes the land plan project outlines that are sent to the planning ministry, which are not approved.

Planning minister Mohamed Aslam offered a solution to this issue; drones. He advised each council to purchase or lease a drone at a low price, take aerial pictures of the island and link the pictures together to create a to-scale land plan.

Three months later, the second round of Viavathi Raajje, which began in L. Gan on Sunday, was aimed for island councils from the southern atolls. It turned out that councillors from the southern atolls also faced the same problem as the central atolls. Speaking at Sunday's conference session, Aslam said that out of the 11 land use plans submitted by the southernmost councils to the ministry, only four had been approved. 

Some of the reasons why the land use plans were not passed are:

"Some of the land plans had been prepared by people who have no experience in it. If the land plans had been prepared by someone who has even some experience in the field, they would be better," Aslam, who spoke on a panel which was chaired by the president, said.

Local Government Authority (LGA) CEO Afshan Latheef told Dhauru Sunday evening that land use plans have been accepted from only 19 islands across the country, to date.

During the panel discussion held during the afternoon session Sunday, Aslam briefed the councils on the way to prepare their land plans using drones. However, the minister "intended to do something else" this time; to pass land use plans in segments.

"I'm going to do something that definitely does not violate the law. Land use plan is going to be approved partially, to issue a partial approval on the land areas that have been prepared as per regulations. It will not mean approval for the whole land use plan, only the correct bits in it will be approved," Aslam said.

During the panel discussion, Aslam also requested legal advice on the matter from Thulhaadhoo MP Hisaan Hussein, who was sitting to his right. Hisaan supported the minister’s idea and assured him that there would be no laws violated in following his direction.

Hisaan, who is also the President of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), said that at a time when councils were "facing such a huge challenge", obstructing the development of the island, "the law can be resolved for the people in the lightest possible interpretation".