All Gedhoruverin forms being evaluated, hoping to publicize list by October’s end: Haidar

All the applications submitted under the Gedhoruverin scheme announced by the previous administration are currently under evaluation.

This was revealed by Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed on Sunday.

Minister Haidar added that they were hoping to publicize the final list of flat recipients by the end of October.

Speaking to RaajjeMV, the minister noted that there is a possibility of changes in points as the applications are under evaluation.

When inquired what percentage of the evaluation process for those who applied for flats has been completed, the minister noted that he was not aware of how far the evaluation process has progressed.

However, he confirmed that the evaluation process is still ongoing.

When asked for assurance that the list will be published by the end of this month as currently scheduled, Haidar stated that the ministry is working to publish the list by the end of October.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu promised to hand over flats and plots of land to their rightful recipients, without any changes as publicized in the government gazette, during the presidential elections campaign, having said that his government would allocate flats according to the list determined by the government. Even after coming to power, the president said that he will not take away housing given to a citizen.

The handover of flats from the flat list was halted after instructions from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The work on 700 housing units built in Hulhumalé under the Gedhoruverin scheme was completed and handed over to the Maldives by the Indian government on 7 October 2024.

The former administration determined that 15,046 people were eligible under the housing scheme.

The now-opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) at the time decided to provide flats to everyone who applied.

Of these, work on 4,000 flats was contracted and work had even commenced at the time.

Despite this, to date, flat and land recipients have been pleading for the release of their rightful plots of land and flats since the government took the reins.

Throngs of citizens both men and women, have been taking to the streets, demanding for the handover of their flats and plots of land, to claim their rights.

The series of protests initially took place at the surf point region in the capital city. As the intensity of these protests began to build, President Muizzu met with senior officials of Fahi Union, who were leading the protests, and senior officials of associations at the President's Office on September 2.

During the meeting, he once again gave assurance that plots and flats would be given.

With this, the protests were halted. Just a few days later, citizens started a series of protests in the Rasfannu region, once again demanding the handover of their plots and flats.

The protesters alleged that Muizzu met with senior officials of Fahi Union to silence them and that the government achieved this goal, as the union and other leading associations had urged not to continue the current protests.