Information regarding the park being developed in Kendhikulhudhoo by the Ministry of Cities remains confidential!
The Kendhikulhudhoo Island Council has expressed concern over the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works' failure to disclose essential details regarding a state-funded children's park project, including its total cost and completion deadline. With the project currently stalled, the council alleges that the government is bypassing decentralization laws by awarding small-scale projects at inflated prices to third parties rather than delegating them to local authorities.
Work on the children's park in Kendhikulhudhoo, managed by the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, has come to a standstill, with the government failing to disclose both the project's completion date and its total cost. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
Mohamed Shahid, a member of the Kendhikulhudhoo Island Council, has stated that the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works has failed to provide information regarding the stalled park development project on the island, despite formal requests from the council.
This project was inaugurated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during his visit to the island last year. Regarding the matter, Mohamed Shahid, a member of the Kendhikulhudhoo Council, stated that despite written inquiries, the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works has failed to provide information regarding the project's total value or the scheduled completion date for the children's park currently under development on the island.
Shahid stated that according to the Decentralization Act, projects valued under MVR 5 million must be awarded to local councils. However, he suggested that these projects are being withheld by bundling two or three together to inflate the total cost.
"I cannot help but wonder if the cost of this project exceeds 5 million MVR, which might be why councils are being barred from executing such initiatives. I find it difficult to believe that constructing a park of this scale could incur such high expenses. For instance, the council has previously developed a volleyball court for 800,000 MVR, which stands in stark contrast to the courts built by the central government. Our facility includes a rostrum and proper spectator seating, and we used high-quality panels for fencing instead of standard wire mesh. Currently, the government’s minimum estimate for constructing a volleyball court starts at 1.4 million MVR."Mohamed Shahid, Member of the Kendhikulhudhoo Island Council
Shahid stated that the development of the children's park commenced following President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's visit to Kendhikulhudhoo in July 2025. However, the council remains unaware of the reasons behind the prolonged delay in the project's completion and has not been informed of a projected deadline.
