Nasheed: I also wish to find these flats, if they are missing

Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has stated that he also wishes to find out what happened to the one-room flats of the Hiyaa Housing Project of the previous administration if they were indeed “missing”.

Speaker Nasheed’s remark was regarding a resolution entered into the parliament today by Naifaru MP Ahmed Shiyam to inquire as to what happened to the “missing” one-room flats of the project. 

The one-room flats were to be awarded from the first floor of flats under construction by state companies under the Hiyaa Housing Project. The companies were to complete the construction of the flats, which were to be handed over to the Housing Development Corporation, which will then award the flats to eligible applicants. 

However, a lot of public outcries were observed when the government terminated the entire category of one-room flats from the final list of awardees for the project, the reason that there were not enough flats constructed. 

MP Shiyam’s resolution called on the government to explain why it was saying that there were not enough flats when the flats were in fact completed. 

MP Shiyam’s resolution also read that Housing Minister Mohamed Aslam had stated that there were no one-room flats constructed, but later stated that only MWSC had completed the one-room flat project where there were only 36 flats in existence. 

As MP Shiyam made the statement, Speaker Nasheed interrupted to say when and where the Minister had stated so.

“Could you please clarify to me where the Minister stated so...I am trying to clarify where the Minister said so. I also wish to find these flats, if they are indeed missing.” Said Speaker Nasheed. 

Minister Aslam in July last year, had stated that construction of the one-room flats had not commenced. The one-room flats were to be awarded under the category of residents living in Male’ City aged 18-40, individuals of the registry (Dhaftharu), newly married couples, individuals with disabilities. 

Minister Aslam later stated that 36 flats of the category had been completed, leading to a lot of criticism towards the government and the Minister himself.