Musthafa: Current administration has allocated land in Hulhumalé to PNC MPs at a 60 percent discount

Legal expert Musthafa Hameed has alleged that the government has promised to grant lagoons or islands to PNC members in exchange for passing an amendment to the Decentralization Act that would allow the state to reclaim lands currently under council jurisdiction. He further claimed that several land plots have already been allocated to certain individuals.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Fala Surukhee" program, Musthafa noted that land and lagoons in the Maldives are currently sold through a public bidding process following an official announcement. However, he highlighted that the proposed legislative amendment to reclaim council lands would allow the state to allocate islands and lagoons without any public notification.

Every member of Parliament who supports the government will be granted a plot of land or a lagoon. Furthermore, the allocation of these lagoons and islands is not conducted through public announcements. There is no transparency regarding when these lagoons are acquired. In the past, such opportunities were advertised and opened for bidding, allowing the public to know who the winning bidder was. Now, none of that information is disclosed.

Musthafa Hameed

Musthafa stated that this amendment would leave both local councils and residents with no way of knowing the prices at which the state is selling public land.

Furthermore, Musthafa suggested that under these amendments, uninhabited islands could potentially be leased for as little as $2,000. He noted that certain members of the current Parliament have already been allocated land in Hulhumalé at a 60 percent discount.

We have heard reports that certain members of Parliament were granted land in Hulhumale' at a 60 percent discount. Given this, it seems entirely plausible that an uninhabited island could be leased out for as little as $2,000.

Musthafa Hameed

Musthafa stated that the amendments currently being introduced by the People's Majlis constitute a significant assault on the nation's economy. He warned that if the public does not stand against these changes, citizens will face severe hardships long after this administration's term ends.

The government is facing a wave of criticism, including from local island councils, over a bill proposed by the Member of Parliament for the Thulhaadhoo constituency to amend the Decentralization Act.

In this regard, an e-petition signed by more than 2,300 individuals has been submitted to Parliament calling for the withdrawal of the bill. Furthermore, several local councils have issued resolutions and statements urging the rejection of the legislation, including councils where the ruling PNC holds a majority.