A list compiled by the previous government of 4,000 recipients of flats under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme has been annulled, the government said on Saturday, announcing that a re-evaluation process was underway.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said 59 percent of recipients chosen by the previous government did not meet the eligibility criteria. The commission also found problems in the application forms of 19.7 percent of recipients who met the criteria.
The Housing Ministry said in a statement that the ACC has since shared a list of forms from eligible applicants who did not have any problems. But since the list had been compiled based solely on information gathered for the ACC investigation, the government said it decided to compile a new list of flat recipients.
“…the ministry is working on arrangements for determining recipients of flats under the Gedhoruveriya scheme,” the Housing Ministry said in its statement.
The ACC inquiry of the flat recipients was wrong and unfair, the opposition has said, alleging efforts by the government to change the list of recipients in order to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The government’s decision to compile a new list of recipients of flats comes with the ACC also looking into complaints over the awarding of land plots under the ‘Binveriya’ scheme.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu pledged to provide flats and land plots to all recipients chosen by the previous government who were included in gazetted lists.
"If it has been officially gazetted, then that person has got it. Some people might not have got the documents, registries might not have been made. But if the final list has been gazetted, that's a government decision. If there's a government decision, they will get it," the President said on December 5.
