The Department of National Registration (DNR) and the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) have agreed to provide digital copies of critical documents and data lost in a recent fire, the Malé City Council has announced.
The blaze, which broke out early on the morning of 12 December, inflicted severe damage on the building that houses the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development, and the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure. The adjacent Green Building, home to the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy, also sustained damage. An office of the Malé City Council was located within the affected premises.
In a move to recover the lost documents, officials from the city council met with representatives from the DNR and DJA. These discussions led to an agreement that the DNR and DJA would provide digital copies of essential land deeds and related court rulings, according to the city council. It also noted that access to these digital records is crucial for ensuring the security and continuity of its operations.
Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh stated that the council has already received digital copies of marriage certificates necessary for processing birth certificates. This means that residents will no longer need to submit physical copies when applying to register births, he added.
The authorities have also pledged to provide digital copies of land deeds and residency documents for Malé, he said, enabling the city council to resume 85% of the services previously suspended due to the fire. These services, primarily overseen by the Vital Registration Section and the Land Section, include handling birth and death records, residency information, and land registrations.
In the aftermath of the fire, which destroyed a significant portion of documents in these departments, services have been temporarily relocated to the City Council office on Amin Avenue, Hulhumalé. To expedite the resumption of suspended services in Malé, unaffected documents have been moved to Galolhu Madrasa School.