Flat handover on ministry's notice, FDC says

The Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) said on Monday that any transaction regarding the 4,000 housing units to be developed in the second phase of Hulhumale under the 'Gedhoruveriya Scheme' will be conducted only after the Housing Ministry issues a directive.

A permanent list of recipients of flats under the Gedhoruveriya scheme of the previous government was gazetted at the end of the term. By the time the government’s term expired, agreements were signed with some of the recipients.

However, after a large number of people complained about the permanent list, the ACC launched an investigation and found that 59.6% of the forms examined were ineligible. With that, this government then decided to review the list and hand over the flats after.

The FDC on Monday issued a statement on the flats agreement and the handover of the flats.

In the statement, the corporation said:

“Therefore, all transactions regarding the handover of [housing] units will be conducted only after the Ministry issues a decision on the matter,” the FDC said in a statement.

Housing Minister Dr Ali Haidar told the parliamentary petitions committee last month that a final list would be released after re-reviewing the current list by the time the first towers of the Gedhoruveriya were completed.

"As far as I know, the first six of the 32 towers will be completed by the end of October. Hopefully, we will release the final list by then," Haider had said then.

This government has decided to revise the permanent list gazetted by the previous government without making any additions. Therefore, the previously published list will not be cancelled, the housing ministry maintains. The list will be reviewed based on available information.

A report was prepared on the complaint submitted by the public to the National Development and Heritage Committee of the Parliament.

The committee noted three main points in its report:

The committee's decision on March 27 was to expedite the allocation of flats to the beneficiaries without making any changes to the list, was also passed by the Parliament.

Presidential Spokesperson Heena Waleed had later said that the flats would be given after considering the issues highlighted in the ACC report.