Housing Minister Dr. Ali Haidhar has stated that he is uncertain when the land allocated to recipients under the previous government’s Gedhoruveriyaa Scheme in Gulhifalhu will be handed over.
Replying to a question by MP Mohamed Ibrahim at Monday’s Parliament session, Minister Haidhar acknowledged there are several challenges in handing over land from Gulhifalhu. He noted that Gulhifalhu is currently a site for the Thilamale Bridge project, and the island’s reclamation remains incomplete.
“At the moment, we have not even finished dredging the land of the Gulhifalhu. Another issue is that the Gulhifalhu is a site that is being used extensively for the bridge work,” Haidhar said.
The site is expected to be cleared by September next year, he said, while some markers set for plot issuance have been damaged due to heavy vehicles operating on the land.
Minister Haidhar also mentioned that Construction Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib has informed him that discussions are ongoing to hand over the dredging of Gulhifalhu to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC). However, no specific date for completion was provided.
A total of 85 hectares of land still need to be dredged from Gulhifalhu, according to Minister Haidhar.
