A revelation has emerged regarding the inclusion of three naturalized foreigners on the list of individuals eligible for free land under the Maldivian government’s Binveriya scheme, specifically designated for natives of Male. The matter is currently under investigation, as confirmed by State Minister for Housing, Akram Kamaluddin.
The initial announcement of the recipients of free land under the government’s Binnverya landlord scheme was made on Monday, unveiling a list that inadvertently included naturalized foreigners. The Ministry of Housing acknowledged the error and assured the public that these names would be removed from the final list when it is officially released. The second individual, exposed through social media, is identified as an Indian national who gained Maldivian citizenship through marriage.
Akram Kamaluddin further revealed that a third individual, also a foreigner turned Maldivian citizen, was identified on the list. As the chairman of the committee responsible for compiling the list, he expressed the ministry’s commitment to investigating whether any additional individuals who acquired citizenship in a similar manner have been included. However, Akram declined to disclose the identity of the third person but emphasized that all foreigners who have obtained Maldivian citizenship would be excluded from the final list.
Regarding the first Indian individual’s inclusion, Akram explained that the issue stemmed from a problem with the Department of National Registration (DNR) system. At the time of data collection, the system did not flag those who had previous citizenship before becoming Maldivian citizens. When asked about the verification process within the DNR system, Akram clarified that it was not solely a DNR issue but rather a flaw in the way the information was gathered. The system was designed to consider only those who had never registered in any other island except Male for land eligibility, overlooking the possibility that naturalized citizens might apply.
Akram emphasized that the provisional list was released precisely to identify and rectify such issues and errors. Complaints related to the list will be thoroughly examined before the final version is published, and the ministry has opened a window for submitting complaints until July 15.
According to the Gedhoruveringe Committee, responsible for evaluating and finalizing the list of eligible individuals for flats and lands under the Binveriya and Gedhoruveriya housing schemes, a total of 12,794 applications fulfilled the criteria, representing 19,857 people. It was emphasized that even if one person in a joint application failed to meet the eligibility criteria, that individual would be excluded, while the remaining applicants would still be deemed eligible.
The Binveriya scheme aims to allocate land from Male specifically to natives of the capital city, while the Gedhoruveriya scheme intends to provide flats to both natives and residents who have resided in Male for over 15 years. The Ministry of Housing previously reported receiving approximately 36,000 applications for the two schemes, with 15,164 applicants seeking land, 14,489 applicants seeking three-bedroom apartments, and 6,208 applicants seeking two-bedroom apartments, amounting to a total of 35,861 applicants.
Under the Binveriya scheme, land will be allocated by reclaiming areas such as Hulhumale, Gulhifalhu, and Giraavaru lagoon. The total land size designated for allocation under the scheme is 3.7 million square feet.
