Parliament on Monday passed amendments proposed to the land law to require the handover of plots awarded to residents of Male' by the previous government's Binveriya (Landowners) scheme within three months.
The bill submitted by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP for Galolhu Dhekunu Meekail Ahmed Naseem on December 18 was passed without any changes. It was passed with 35 MPs voting in favor and no votes against.
The bill passed by the Majlis yesterday proposed adding a provision under Article 12 of the Maldives Land Act as well as two clauses (c) and (d) under Article 13 of the law.
The provision added under Article 12 of the Land Act concerns the handover of state-owned land.
Section (a) of the Article states that the agency that awarded state-owned plots for housing must hand over the plot to the recipients within a maximum of six months from the date that recipients are determined and a final list is gazetted.
Section (b) of the Article states that plots that have not been handed over after the final list was gazetted must be handed over within three months after the law comes into effect.
Section (c) added under Article 13 states that the agency that awarded state-owned plots for housing must hand over land registries to the recipients within a maximum of six months from the date that recipients are determined and a final list is gazetted.
Section (d) states that that land registries that have not been handed over after the final list was gazetted must be handed over within three months after the law comes into effect.
The previous government awarded 9,003 land plots to Male' residents under the Binveriya scheme. However, title deeds have so far been handed over to 8,394 recipients.
The current government has decided to offer an additional opportunity to hand over the title deeds to those who have not collected their document.
Work on the Binveriya scheme stalled because of the change of government. Despite the passage of the bill mandating the handover of plots to recipients of the Binveriya scheme within the next three months, the bill will only come into force when President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu ratifies and gazettes it.
