The opposing PPM-PNC coalition has said that there is no equality or justice in the allocation of land under the government's land owner program.
The administration released the preliminary list of land plot recipients for the 'Binveriya' Housing Scheme on Monday. The list, published in the Government Gazette, includes the names of those shortlisted for the scheme, finalised after evaluation. The list includes 10,314 recipients, including people who applied jointly and as separate individuals who would receive land plots under the scheme.
In a statement, the PPM-PNC coalition expressed its concerns alleging unfair distribution of Male' land without considering the most deserving, with 75 days left for the presidential election. The coalition said it believes the move to be a politically-motivated gesture to influence the election.
The coalition alleges that the current government distributed the land dredged during the rule of their leader, former President Abdullah Yameen, to the heads of the government, including land from Hulhumale' Phase I, Phase II, Gulhifalhu.
“If there was any vacant land in the land dredged in Male' area by President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, it has been distributed to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's relatives and government officials without any justice,” the PPM said.
The PPM-PNC emphasized that there was justice in the distribution of land and further criticized the government, stating that it has failed to fulfill its promise of 20,000 flats. The coalition pointed out that flats built by President Yameen remain vacant, and no work is being done by the current government to finish the projects.
The opposing coalition has called on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other relevant institutions to investigate the land distribution.
“We call on the ACC and other relevant institutions to investigate the crimes of distributing land to close friends and government officials and deceiving the people by allocating land from areas that are not dredged,” the statement read.
The press release assured that if President Yameen comes to power, every citizen in need of housing will be provided with housing in the city.
