The Government has decided to maintain the existing Binveriyaa Scheme agreements as they are, and to have both parties sign a document acknowledging the change in plot numbers, stated Dr. Abdulla Muththalib, Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure. Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib made this statement in relation to the ongoing discussions concerning the registration of plots under the Binveriyaa Scheme. He reiterated that the Government has decided to maintain the existing Binveriyaa Scheme agreements as they are, and to have both parties sign a document acknowledging the change in plot numbers.
The Minister stated that the decision to maintain the current Binveriyaa Scheme agreements and then have both parties sign a document acknowledging the change in plot numbers was made to proceed with the issuance of new registries and the handing over of plots without further delay. In a press statement issued by the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure regarding the Binveriyaa Scheme, it was stated that under the previous government, plots were announced and allocated from Hulhumalé, Gulhifalhu, and Giraavaru lagoon within the Malé region under the policy for allocating state plots, with agreements signed and plot registries handed over to the recipients. The Ministry further stated that due to various reasons, including changes made to Gulhifalhu’s land use plan, the plot areas for those who received plots from Gulhifalhu have changed. Consequently, lots were re-drawn among these parties, and their assigned plots have been re-determined. The Ministry highlighted that during the review of the current agreement for re-signing after these re-determinations, certain clauses were identified to be in conflict with the Maldives Land Act.
In this regard, the Ministry’s press statement noted that the Land Act specifies that state plots for residential purposes can only be granted to Maldivian citizens who do not already own a state plot, a private plot, a shared state plot or a portion of a private plot, or a flat in a government-built building or a shared building. However, the Binveriyaa Scheme’s policy for allocating state plots in the Malé region, and the agreements under this policy, only require recipients to relinquish plots smaller than 600 square feet received in the Malé area, including Malé, Hulhumalé, and Villingili.
Given that many plots allocated from Hulhumalé under the Binveriyaa Scheme have already been handed over and construction work has begun, the Ministry does not believe that merely amending the agreements signed with those who received plots from Gulhifalhu will solve the entire issue, as stated in their press release. Therefore, to expedite the handover of plots received by the parties from Gulhifalhu through the draw conducted on May 30th, the Ministry of Housing has decided to have the recipients sign an amendment agreement to revise the article pertaining to plot information in their existing agreement, specifically to clarify the new plot registry number, plot number, and location. The Ministry also stated that they are consulting with the Attorney General’s Office to find a comprehensive solution for the conflicts between the agreements made with the recipients of plots under this scheme and the Land Act.
