Minister of Housing and Urban Development Aminath Athifa has revealed the ministry is currently working to finalise recipients of flats from the Hiyaa housing project by July this year.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Committee on National Development and Heritage, parliamentarians raised concerns and several questions over the delay in awarding Hiyaa flats to its recipients. In response, Minister Athifa said the ministry is currently working to ensure the flats are awarded to its rightful recipients. Noting the work is being overseen by a special committee formed by the President’s Office, the minister said all application forms have now been evaluated by the committee and queries for further information have been submitted to the ministry. She said the ministry is now working to provide the requested information.
The housing minister also said the ministry is now cross checking around 25,000 forms it has received, adding the forms will be sent back to the President’s Office when office opens after confirming if the finalised recipients own a land anywhere in the country.
While the ministry aims to finalise the list by July, the government has previously announced its plans to award the flats to rightful tenants by September this year as part of its pledge to award 7,000 flats under the social housing scheme.
Structural work of the flats is complete and utility work of the buildings are underway. The project involves 16 25-storey towers in Hulhumale Phase II.
The 7000 flats built under the Hiyaa project was developed as part of social housing scheme of the previous administration.