Recipients of land plots under the former government’s ‘Binveriya’ scheme might be able to change their plots from Giraavaru to Gulhifalhu as the government is seriously considering the policy change, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said last night.
In response to a question from Aminath Leela from Hulhumale’ in the “President’s Answer” series recently launched by the President’s Office, the President said several people who were awarded plots from Giraavaru have posed the same question to him.
“What I want to say is that a decision on that has not been made yet. There is a chance for that. However, we haven’t set the policy yet,” the President said.
Land plots were awarded under the scheme from Hulhumale’, Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru with 2,118 plots from the latter.
Whether recipients of plots from Giraavaru could instead be awarded plots from Gulhifalhu would be decided when the land use plans for the islands are finalized, the President said. The work is now in the final stage, he said.
“So consider that it is possible that people who got plots from Giraavaru lagoon could get plots from Gulhifalhu. We are very seriously attending to that idea, that question. God willing, we will give an answer to that very soon,” he said.
The President’s indication of changing plots to Gulhifalhu came after the current administration relocated a planned port project from Gulhifalhu to Thilafushi and increased the land reclamation of Gulhifalhu by 85 hectares. The government also decided to increase the reclamation of the Giraavaru lagoon by 50 hectares.
Together with the land the current government decided to add, the size of Gulhifalhu would be 303 hectares and the size of Giraavaru would be 200 hectares. This would be twice the size of Male’. In addition, the government has also started reclamation of Rasmale’, a new artificial island that would be six times the size of Male’. The reclamation of the Hulhumale’ third phase begun by the previous government is also ongoing.
As a result of the projects, President Muizzu said no Maldivian citizen would lack housing by the end of his term.
