Protesters demand Minister Muththalib's resignation over delays in land, flat allocation
After setting several dates but failing to do so, the government drew massive widespread public criticism
Protesters calling for Housing Minister Muhthalib's resignation during a protest staged on 30.04.2025
Protesters have gathered in front of Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr. Abdulla Muththalib's residence, calling for his resignation due to delays in the allocation of flats and land.
During the protest held on Wednesday night, the public demanded that the flats and lands "seized" by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration be quickly handed over to their rightful owners and for Minister Muththalib to resign immediately.
The protesters carried placards with slogans expressing their concerns including messages calling for Minister Muththalib's immediate resignation, the swift allocation of "seized" flats and lands, claims that their flats were unjustly taken away, and suggestions to start reclaiming Giraavaru just as Ras Malé was reclaimed.
The public has protested for Minister Muththalib's resignation at a time the government had released the list of 4,000 flat recipients under the ‘Gedhoruveriyaa’ Scheme in March 2025 after an extensive delay. While over 18,000 applications were submitted for the scheme, the list issued by the government stated that only 1,820 people met the eligibility criteria for the flats.
In a press conference held in March regarding the publicized flat list, Minister Muththalib stated that the Gedhoruveriyaa Scheme specifically includes 2,750 three-bedroom flats and 1,250 two-bedroom flats in the towers currently under construction.
He mentioned that while 1,820 people met the criteria for these flats, the remaining flats would be allocated after evaluating the remaining 15,000 applications.
Although the previous government had announced the list of flat recipients, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) stated that there were issues with the list, leading to a suspension of flat allocations for review. Subsequently, in February 2024, ACC authorized the government to allocate flats after considering certain factors.
The housing ministry consecutively decided to review the list again. After setting several dates but failing to do so, the government drew massive widespread public criticism.
