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Govt takes back Galufalhu lagoon from MITDC

The government has taken back Male' Atoll Galufalhu lagoon which was given to Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Cooperation (MITDC).

Answering questions at a press conference held Saturday, Tourism Minister Ali Waheed said the lagoons leased to MITDC have been taken back by the government. The development of the lagoons are not within MTDC's mandate, said the minister.

However, Minister Ali Waheed did not disclose which lagoons were taken back from MTDC.

During former President Abdulla Yameen's tenure, the lagoon 'Galufalhu' near Feydhoofinolhu was given to MTDC to develop a picnic island on the lagoon.

Then MITDC's Managing Director Ahmed Shahid had stated that 7 hectares of land would be be dredged to develop two islands. He had estimated that the project would cost over MVR 50 million, and revealed that the islands would be reclaimed within 60 days. However, work on the project never commenced.