The former Prosecutor General of the Maldives Ahmed Muizzu took to Twitter on July 3rd 2023, to share that the Government would not be able to carry out the process of giving these land plots as the Ministry of Planning does not have the legal authority to give away land plots.
The former Prosecutor General of the Maldives Ahmed Muizzu took to Twitter on July 3rd 2023, to share that the Government might not be able to carry out the process of giving the land plots under the Binveriya scheme as the Ministry of Planning does not have the legal authority to give away land plots.
Though the current administration has released the list of applicants who are going to receive free land plots under the Binveriya scheme, this statement by the former Prosecutor General of the Maldives raises concerns about the viability of the Binveriya scheme taking place.
In the tweet, Muizzu strongly asserted that the government lacks the legal authority to distribute these land plots. Alongside his statement, he shared a compelling image highlighting the relevant section of the law that specifically addresses this matter. The provision explicitly states that if the government intends to allocate land in such a manner, it must be carried out exclusively by the City Council or the Island Council of the respective island.
In the case of the Greater Male' Area, where the power rests with the Male' City Council, they alone possess the jurisdiction to grant these land plots from Male'. With the Binveriya scheme already raising so many eyebrows due to the list of recipients which included several MPs and other people who are not eligible for the scheme, this is another added concern around the integrity of the Binveriya scheme which is being managed by the Solih administration.
Another concern raised by people is the legality and justification of providing free land plots to Male' residents from Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru lagoons, which still remains as lagoons, and are not part of Male' city yet.
