Instead of conducting a further evaluation of the applicants under the Gedhoruveriyaa Scheme, information of the current list will be verified before finalising recipients, the Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has said.
The former administration led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) initiated the development of 4,000 flats in Hulhumale' under the Gedhoruveriyaa Scheme. However, the project remained incomplete at the end of the term. Ahead of the conclusion of then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s term, the government released a final list of flat recipients. However, after a case was filed regarding the list, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) revealed that only 20 percent of the listed recipients met eligibility criteria.
The discovery by the ACC had forced the current Administration to conduct a thorough review of the recipients list.
Minister Muththalib said if the current government does an evaluation of all the applicants under the scheme, it would further delay the awarding of the flats.
So instead, the Ministry would evaluate and verify the recipients on the list gazetted on 15 November 2023, he added.
According to the Minister, this verification process will determine if the recipients on that list meet all the criteria of the Gedhoruveriyaa scheme which was gazetted on 26 June 2022.
The Minister said documents submitted by applicants to prove that they have been living in the capital Male’ for 15 years will also be verified.
However, Muththalib noted that despite the criteria stipulating that only six types of documents will be deemed as proof, some applicants had submitted documents outside that criteria to prove residency.
In addition, the Ministry would also verify if such applicants had, at any given time, not lived in Male’ for more than a 12 month period, he added.
This Administration since assuming office in November 2023, had put in every effort to finalise the list and award the flats to recipients. However, Muththalib has apologised for the delay in concluding the verification process.