Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Local Government Authority (LGA) Fathimath Afshan Latheef has said that land use plans for 19 islands have been approved.
Speaking on decentralisation during the ongoing 4th Congress of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Afshan said the biggest issue faced by local councils in the past was the lack of authority to utilise vacant land and plots allocated for social and economic purposes. She, however, said the latest amendments to the Decentralisation Act, have now enabled the utilisation of land under the central government, as included in the land use plan, for the benefit of the people without any further permission.
Under the Decentralisation Act, the local councils are mandated to prepare land use plans. The act states that within three months after the elected members assume office, the island council shall prepare the development plan and land use plan of each island with technical assistance provided by the Atoll Council. However, several councils have not submitted land use plans although a year has passed since the new councillors were sworn in.
Meanwhile, Afshan noted that 68 island councils have submitted land use plans so far, of which 19 have been approved. She added funds allocated for the land use plans have now been released to those councils.
Land use plans are crucial for the development of islands. The delay in the submission of land use plans has hindered the development of the islands. As per the Decentralisation Act, the prepared land use plan must be submitted to the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for approval. The land use plan has to be formed after a meeting with the public and the local councils are also required to hold meetings with the public to make amendments to the land use plan.