An amendment to the Decentralization Act has been submitted to the People’s Majlis, seeking to grant the government the authority to reclaim land and sites under the jurisdiction of island and city councils for state development projects.
President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration has been moving towards centralization, stripping councils of their powers. To facilitate this, numerous amendments have been made to the Decentralization Act over the past two years.
The latest bill was introduced by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru. Although sitting as an independent member, he aligns with the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) in parliamentary proceedings. The bill proposes adding four clauses to the law.
"Upon a Cabinet decision to remove a land or site from a council’s jurisdiction for the purpose of implementing projects, the relevant national authority shall transfer it from the council’s ownership, whereby it will become land under the full authority of the State," the bill states.
The bill further stipulates that even before an island’s physical development plan is approved, councils must hand over land if the government requests it for a development project.
Additionally, the amendment proposes new clauses regarding the code of conduct for council members.
These include a requirement for members to provide full cooperation to the government and a provision stating they must not act in a manner that obstructs government projects without a valid reason. The bill also notes that councils must not pass resolutions intended to halt such projects.
Last year, the law was amended to allow the government to proceed with projects—subject to approval from the Local Government Authority (LGA)—if councils fail to grant necessary permits within a reasonable timeframe.
During the local council election campaign, Muizzu expressed frustration, alleging that some councils were refusing to cooperate with development projects.
When Adhadhu filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking clarification on which islands or projects the President was referring to, the President’s Office declined to provide the information.
The submission of this bill comes at a time when several councils are resisting government requests for land.
The Addu City Council recently refused a government request to increase a land allocation in Maradhoo-Feydhoo from 9,000 square feet to 11,000 square feet for a 2,900-square-foot building.
The council also said it would not release land for a Google international submarine cable landing station and network facility in Hithadhoo unless a rental agreement was established.
