Maldives Pres vetoes opposition bill to force land handover

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday vetoed the opposition engineered bill that would have forced the government to handover the land plots under the previous administration's controversial housing and land scheme.

The opposition controlled parliament last month passed an amendment to the Land Act to make it compulsory for the government to handover the ownership registry to recipients of land from government housing schemes within at least three months.

President's office said the president had sent the bill back to parliament for reconsideration.

The incumbent government has come under heavy criticism from the opposition for delaying the handover the free land and flats under its flagship housing schemes "Binveriyaa" and "Gedhoruveriyaa".

Under the Binveriyaa scheme, the lands has been allocated by reclaiming Hulhumale and Gulhifalhu as well as Giraavaru lagoon.