FDC: Units weren’t allocated to some 300 ‘Gedhoruveriya’ recipients during former administration

Units weren’t allocated to some 300 recipients of flats under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme during the former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration, says Hamdan Shakeel, the managing director of Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC).

The FDC has developed 4,000 flats in Hulhumale’ Phase II - the first of housing units built under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme, a social housing project launched by the former MDP administration.

In an appearance on SSTV’s Baaru Hathareh show on Monday night, Hamdan said that the Housing Ministry had conducted the allocation of flats in a rushed manner in the last days of the MDP administration, without involving the FDC, resulting in major issues.

“What happened was that [units] were allocated to some. But there were also some 300 people on the list of recipients released during President [Ibrahim Mohamed] Solih’s administration who meet the criteria but weren’t allocated units. As a result of the Housing Ministry doing this in a such an unplanned manner, there are some major issues like this, leading to major challenges,” he said.

Hamdan said the unplanned and disorganized manner in which the process was carried out meant that a lot of paperwork was also left undone.

He said that the Housing Ministry is therefore checking to ensure all paperwork is in order.

The FDC had suspended the signing of agreements for some of the recipients earlier this week after it uncovered discrepancies in one of the lists of recipients sent by the Housing Ministry.

Hamdhan said that the suspension is only temporary, and that it does not mean the people on the list will be losing their flats.

The suspension of the signing of agreements sparked concern from the Fahi Union, which advocates for housing rights.

In a statement on Monday, the Housing Ministry said that it found some of the people who scored above 76 points for three-bedroom flats weren’t allocated units. The ministry said the draw for people who scored above 75 points will be held once flats are allocated for the people who scored 76 and above first.