Social housing lands, but no living
Any work on land acquired under the Binnveriya Scheme must be done with the permission of the HDC.
The issue of illegal construction and establishments such as cafes has increased in the Hulhumale Phase II plots allotted to the residents of Male under the Binnveriya scheme during the previous government.
The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has repeatedly warned people not to build small cafes and other establishments on second phase plots without permission from the authorities.
However, such buildings are still being built, the company's Assistant Director Hassan Shaheed told Atoll Times on Thursday.
Shaheed added:
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The HDC is working with the relevant authorities to take necessary measures
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HDC has issued announcements in the past; he urged the people to follow the instructions in the announcements
Construction of cafes on land in this way is against the rules and regulations regarding building permits and is illegal.
In an announcement last month, the HDC said it would withhold additional permission granted by HDC to builders and owners of plots where they have been illegally using land without obtaining the required permission from the corporation. It also said that the services provided by HDC will remain suspended.
Any work on land acquired under the Binnveriya Scheme must be done with the permission of the HDC. Thus:
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First, the perimeter wall must be built; a special permit is required
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After the perimeter wall is erected, a building permit must be applied for with the building drawing; HDC will provide temporary water and electricity for construction purposes
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A cafe or business can be operated on a land plot only after obtaining permission to build and occupy the building in accordance with the rules and obtain permission to operate a business from the Ministry of Economic Affairs
‘Proof of injustice in land allocation'
The former President Solih's government had claimed it had given land to deserving people living in the city who did not have adequate housing when it gave away free land under the Binnveriya scheme implemented by the government. The government then had repeatedly assured that the land had been allocated to rightful, deserving owners.
However, the current scenarios make this questionable as well.
"These are the land allocated to the homeless and street dwellers from Hulhumale Phase II. What you see instead is the scene of cafes and restaurants coming up," a man named Yusuf Jade posted on Facebook with a photo of an illegal cafe.
"The area has been completely destroyed. If you give land for business, that's what happens," one commenter wrote on the post.
People have also expressed their views that the Binnveriya scheme is a huge injustice done to the people by the previous government as some people are misusing the land given to them free of charge.
“There is no need to pay rent for any Hiyaa flat,” said one disgruntled commenter.
In addition, the Hiyaa flats allocated under the social housing scheme have also been rented out. Some people have asked whether the recipients are really the most in need of housing. A lot of the people who received the Hiyaa flats have also rented them out. The concern is that action is not taken even if they rent out the properties allocated to social housing, to the needy”.
"Are Hiyaa flats rented out by homeless people? Take the keys and go live somewhere else; in the island or the city. One can’t talk about the other," another wrote.
"You should not give [land] for free like that. Hiyaa flats should also be confiscated if they are rented out or dues to the state are not paid. There should be no discrimination. We all pay our taxes”.
There are always complaints that flats and land have not been given to the rightful owners in the housing projects implemented by the governments to solve the housing problem in the capital city. There is also a lot of criticism of the government's policies as scheme after scheme produces mass buildings, but fails to make a dent in the housing crisis in Male.
The present government had also criticised the previous government for running the housing scheme without proper planning.
