Pres assures to hand over promised flats, land to Male residents

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Tuesday that land and flats will be provided by the end of his term, in line with the government's promises to solve the housing problems faced by the people of Male.

Around 36,000 applications have been received for plots and flats under the government's ‘Binnveriyaa’ and ‘Gedhoruveriyaa’ scheme. At a campaign event held at MDP primary held Tuesday evening, the President assured that no one of the eligible people would be left out.

At the meeting held at Dharubaaruge Faashana event hall, the president said that by the end of this term, the people of Male will be given houses and the flat construction launched by the government will also be completed.

"We have done [the evaluation work as well as possible] and in a transparent manner, we will also give plots to those who have applied for land and flats to those who have applied for flats," he said.

In his speech, he hit back at his rivals' claims that promises would be fulfilled to seek votes.

"This is not an attempt to seek votes fraudulently. This has nothing to do with votes," he said, adding that the people of Male will be given their land by the end of this year.

Apart from the land, he said, he was confident that people would be able to access the flats that the government had started constructing this year. Pointing out that this has never happened in any government in the past, he said there was nothing for anyone else to talk about flats and lands.

"If you wish, we will complete the flats that this government has started and start allocating the homes to the people of Male and the Maldivians who want flats within this year," he said.

Under the ‘Gedhoruveriyaa’ scheme, people from other islands who have lived in Male area for the past 15 years, also applied for flats allotted in the area. However, only Male residents are allotted land. The government faced a lot of flak for allotting land only to the residents of the city.

In addition to the land and flats allotted in Hulhumale, the government has promised to provide land to the people of Male  by reclaiming the adjacent Giraavaru lagoon. Earlier, President Solih had announced that 1,000 houses would be allotted at the time of development and 2,000 plots in Giraavaru lagoon site.

Efforts to fulfil this promise are also in full swing, he said. Explaining the status of these works now, he said: