Falah supports repossessing land plots but in official capacity, assures they will be handed over

Parliament’s majority leader and Inguiradhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, on Wednesday, clarified that he had earlier called the state to repossess the land plots awarded to Male’ residents by the last administration in his personal capacity, adding he is against it in his official capacity.

While speaking at the Parliament on Tuesday, Falah said the issuance of land from the greater Male’ area resulted in a loss of MVR 13 billion to the state, and as such, called on the state to repossess these land plots.

His remarks were covered by media outlets, sparking public outrage. Many questioned whether the statements made by Falah, the leader of the ruling PNC’s parliamentary group, reflected the official stand of the government.

Falah responded to these remarks while speaking during Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting. In this regard, the top lawmaker from the ruling party said he made his earlier remarks in his capacity as a “normal citizen”, adding it is his personal opinion.

In his official capacity, Falah said the land plots need to be handed over.

“Today, I am speaking as the majority leader. The incumbent administration must hand over the land plots that have been awarded to you,” he said.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration had run two major housing schemes to address the housing crisis in the overcrowded Maldivian capital – the ‘Binveriya’ scheme under which thousands of plots were awarded from land reclaimed or being reclaimed from Hulhumale’, Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru Falhu, and the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme, under which 4,000 flats were built in Hulhumale’.

Kendhoo MP Muroof Zakir, a lawmaker from the main opposition MDP, has submitted a resolution urging the incumbent PNC administration to expedite the handover of the 4,000 flats.

Speaking during the debate on the resolution on Tuesday, Falah, the parliamentary representative for Inguraidhoo, criticized the ‘Binveriya’ scheme.

He said that the scheme had been a ploy used by the MDP in an effort to win the 2023 presidential election, calling on the state to repossess all land plots awarded for free after compensating people who have built boundary walls or built on these plots.

Falah, on Tuesday, had stressed that this opinion is not that of the PNC, but his own.

The MDP administration awarded over 9,003 plots of land from Hulhumale’, Gulhifalhu and Firaavaru Falhu under the first phase of the ‘Binveriya’ scheme.