The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has said that the government of former president Mohamed Nasheed did not follow any rules when providing housing, and that a PPM government would check a person’s situation before providing him a flat.

Vilimaafannu MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik said this while speaking at a press conference held at Nasandhura Palace Hotel today, to provide information on PPM’s housing policy.

He said that Nasheed’s government gave flats under the Veshi Fahi Male’ program without checking the validity of the forms that were submitted, which meant that flats were not provided to the people who actually deserved them.

He said that a PPM government will visit people to understand their condition and to identify the people who deserve flats, before providing flats.

He assured that a PPM government would also pay special attention to providing housing to the families who are registered in the Male’ Municipality Khaassa Dhaftharu (Special Register), and people who are really in need of housing.

He said that however, a lot of people registered on the Male’ Municipality Khaassa Dhaftharu are people who own houses in Male’, so before providing housing, PPM would check to see that they do not already own houses in Male’.

He went on to say that five Members of Parliament (MPs), who earn salaries of MVR 62,500, are registered on the Male’ Municipality Khaassa Dhaftharu. They are Gadhdhoo MP Zahir Adam, Fares Maathoda MP Ibrahim Muththalib, Fuvahmulah-North MP Mohamed Rafeeg Hassan, Manadhoo MP Mohamed Tharig and Kela MP Abdullah Mausoom.

Nihan said that under PPM’s housing policy, permanent housing will be provided to people who lost their homes in the tsunami, to teachers, and to uniformed state institution employees.