Felidhoo Island Council has withdrawn its decision to deny services to individuals for non-payment of dues.
On November 1, the Felidhoo Council announced that it would stop providing services to individuals as well as their spouses and children until they paid the money owed to the council. The council stated it made the decision after numerous failed efforts to recover the money.
In a recent press release, the council stated that it has withdrawn its previous decision. It also stated that it will give individuals three months to pay their dues and will announce their names after the deadline.
Local Government Authority (LGA) and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) have expressed concern over the initial decision. LGA stated that councils should make decisions that do not violate the fundamental rights of citizens guaranteed under the Constitution. HRCM stated that local councils do not have the power to withhold a service from a particular group.