Male’ City Council has been ordered by the Civil Court to “hand over” the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) political activity area Usfasgandu to the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure within the next seven days, reports local media.
The Usfasgandu area was given to the Male’ City Council on September 19, 2012 and according to the Civil Court ruling – citing the regulation regarding land transfers under council jurisdiction – it is “evident” the land is being used in a way that violates the government’s land use plan. This violation is because the city council lacks the authority to “hand over” the land to other parties [the MDP], according to Sun Online.
The civil court’s ruling also states that the city council’s current use of the area is in contradiction to the agreement made between the council, Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure, and Ministry of Finance and Treasury.
In that agreement, the land “shall be kept empty for public use and that the land shall be developed in manner accessible to the public all times.”
Structures are allowed to be made within the 800 square foot land area, as long as they do not exceed three metres in height and can be used as “toilets, changing rooms, showers, short eats vendors, or a place to sell drinking water,” local media stated.
