Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of Local Government Authority (LGA) Fathimath Afshan Latheef has stated that issues in formulating land-use plans can be resolved without making changes to the law.
Speaking to PSM News, CEO Afshan said the biggest concern of the LGA is the challenges faced by local councils in formulating their land-use plans and that solutions were previously proposed to the Parliament of the Maldives and the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. She expressed confidence that the solutions proposed at the Viavathi Raajje conference will ease the concerns of local councils.
Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam addressed the issues regarding the difficulties faced by local councils in formulating land-use plans in accordance with the Decentralisation Act while participating in the session centered on land-use plans at the Viavathi Raajje conference.
Speaking at the session, Minister Aslam highlighted the delays in submitting the proposals for land-use plans and said that the plans are needed for the development of the islands. He detailed that the land-use plans are required for certain development projects as well as for handing over land plots to island residents.
Furthermore, Minister Aslam noted that 55 islands have so far submitted land-use plans and that the planning ministry has approved seven of the plans, while 11 plans are in the final stage of approval. He said that 26 plans have been rejected and 10 plans have been returned to the councils to make changes and updates, using the latest technologies, to certain locations on the charts such as mosques and cemeteries.
At the session, Minister Aslam also gave a presentation on formulating land-use plans to the 174 participants at the session including presidents of local councils and Women’s Development Committees (WDCs). During the presentation, he provided details on how local councils can determine the number of trees on the island and how to designate areas for land reclamation. He also said that lecturers from the Maldives National University (MNU) and universities in the UK along with Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) will soon begin to hold training programmes on piloting drones to take photographs over the islands.
A land-use plan is a developmental plan regulating the use of unused and reclaimed land on islands in an effort to promote beneficial and efficient land usage. The land-use plans are formulated by the island councils in consultation with the community, to assist island councils to manage land strategically and develop a budget for developmental activities under the jurisdiction of the councils.