The government decided to take over 14 plots of land previously under the jurisdiction of the Male’ City Council due to prolonged delays in executing planned projects, Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) has announced.
In an interview with "Sun," Shareef said that the decision to seize the council's land was prompted by the failure to complete projects by their deadlines and a lack of cooperation from the council.
"Work has been unable to commence because of them [Male’ City Council], and several matters have been delayed due to their actions. For instance, regarding the market projects, we were unable to meet the President's timeline because of them," he said.
The Male’ City Council has decided to challenge the seizure in court, asserting that the lands were taken under the guise of urban development.
The reclaimed properties and their intended projects include:
- Sultan Park (E-sporting arena and museum park)
- Rasfannu (No further developments)
- Reclaimed area for Fish Market (Wet market)
- Thaisay Koshi (Temporary labour accommodation block)
- Fish Market (Office and commercial building)
- Masveringe Maizaan (Pump station)
- Local Market (Mixed-use commercial building)
- Carnival area (Recreation and commercial building)
- Artificial Beach (Upgrading and additional facilities)
- Pay Toilet No. 2 (Public restrooms and additional facilities)
- Former Villa Hakatha Petrol Shed (Electric vehicle charging station)
- Bondibai Park (Parking building and mixed-use commercial building)
- National Library plot (Children’s activity centre and daycare centre)
- Male’ City Council accommodation plot (Labour relations accommodation)
The government was empowered to reclaim these lands following an amendment to the Decentralisation Act passed last month. Under this amendment, the government has the authority to reclaim local lands for development projects upon a Cabinet decision.
Mayor Adam Azim stated that should the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) return to power, all rights and resources stripped from councils would be restored. He further pledged to grant councils greater powers and autonomy than they currently hold.
The rift between the Male’ City Council and the government extends beyond land disputes. Following amendments to the Land Transport Act last September, the council’s revenue from vehicle fees has been halted, and a significant portion of the Male’ City Council’s government grant has also been slashed.
