Akram: No draw issues, reserved flats will tally eligible lists

Former State Minister of Housing, Akram Kamaluddin, stated on Monday evening that the Ministry of Housing's assertion regarding the exclusion of some individuals who scored 76 points and were eligible for 3-room apartments from the flat allocation lottery is misleading.

The Ministry of Housing announced on Monday that three-room apartments, part of the 4,000 flats designated under the previous government's housing initiative, were allocated to recipients achieving a score of 76 marks. However, it has been observed that the lottery process was not uniformly applied to all individuals who met this criterion.

Without disclosing the exact number of individuals who did not participate in the lottery, the ministry indicated that while some who scored 76 marks were not allocated flats, certain individuals with 75 points did receive allocations. Consequently, the ministry announced that a new draw would be held for those who scored 76 points but were previously excluded.

In a post on X, Akram explained that the previous government had stipulated that if a couple applied separately for the Gedhoruveriya scheme and both applicants attained sufficient marks for a flat, the couple would be granted a single flat.

Therefore, the number and details of couples who qualified for two flats were to be listed separately, with one flat reserved for each couple, Akram asserted.

"The draws for the 4000 flats were conducted after reserving the 100 flats allocated to the Maldives Customs Service and one flat for couples who qualified for it by applying separately," stated former State Minister of Housing Akram Kamaluddin.

He further elaborated that the previous government had implemented this as a state function to ensure that civil service employees of the ministry possessed all pertinent information. He emphasized that the ministry's operations would remain unaffected even with changes in political staff. However, he alleged that the current government's political employees have sidelined the experienced ministry staff.

"It has become evident that the government is misleading the public regarding the Gedhoruveriya scheme and is disseminating false information without properly considering the preceding events," he claimed.

Akram characterized the dissemination of information, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in a manner that engenders public unease on sensitive issues such as the Gedhoruveriya scheme, as a highly irresponsible act, especially without a thorough investigation into the facts.

In additional comments to Sun, Akram alleged that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and Housing Minister Abdulla Muthalib were also attempting to mislead the recipients.

"They are attempting to commit theft. President Muizzu and Muthalib are endeavoring to illegally allocate flats to favored individuals rather than providing them to those who genuinely deserve them," he asserted.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's government released a tentative list of 4,000 flat recipients on November 4, 2023, shortly before the conclusion of his term. Following numerous public complaints regarding this list, a permanent list was subsequently released on the 15th of the same month.

Akram served as the head of the committee responsible for allocating flats and land during the Solih administration.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had halted the handover of the flats, citing that the list was compiled to benefit specific groups.

After reviewing the lists, the interim government's Housing Ministry announced in February that 1,820 individuals were eligible for the 4,000 flats and that the points awarded to 53 percent of the individuals on the previous list were invalid. The government also issued a new list but later stated that the flats would be allocated according to the previous government's flat list.

Contracts for the 4,000 flats are currently being finalized through the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC).