President: List will be released in Feb, flats handed over in Sep

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced on Thursday that the list of the recipients of the 4,000 housing units under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme will be released before the end of February, and the handover process will be completed before the end of September.

The 4,000 units are being developed in Hulhumale’ Phase II by the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC). It is the first of housing units being built under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme, a social housing project launched by the former administration.

The list of recipients of the flats, which was released during the last days of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration, was the subject of an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The corruption watchdog ordered for the suspension of the issuance of flats, before finally giving the Housing Ministry the go-ahead to proceed in February 2024.

The Housing Ministry has been reviewing the list in the 11 months since.

Delivering his annual address to the Parliament on Thursday morning, President Muizzu described verification of the list of recipients of the flats in accordance with the ACC’s instructions as “the most sensitive issue this administration has to address.”

“By the Grace of Almighty Allah, we will be able to finish the review and release the list within this month,” he said.

He said that all the flats will be handed over by the end of September.

President Muizzu also said that his administration is working on initiating a project to build 4,000 new housing units in Gulhifalhu this year.

He also said that reclamation of 150 hectors of land from Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) for the housing project there will also begin this year.

He said that more new housing projects will be initiated this year in Male’, Vilimale’ and Hulhumale’.

The government has come under mounting pressure over the delay in the handover of flats under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme, sparking serial protests in Male’.

The original list of recipients of the first 4,000 units received some 325 complaints. The ACC, which investigated the complaints, found that 59.6 percent of the recipients did not meet the eligibility criteria.