The government has announced a significant revision to the Gulhifalhu Land Use Plan, confirming that all residential plots allocated under the Binveriyaa housing scheme will now be issued exclusively from already-dredged areas. This adjustment is aimed at accelerating the land registration process and resolving complications that have delayed the formal handover of plots to beneficiaries.
Previously, land plots were allocated under a mixed-use plan that included both dredged and undredged zones, leading to concerns from recipients who were assigned land in areas yet to be reclaimed. While some beneficiaries had successfully registered their plots, others remained in limbo due to the lack of physical land.
To address this, the revised land use plan shifts all residential, commercial, and institutional allocations to land that has already been reclaimed. Areas initially reserved for commercial and other non-residential purposes within the dredged zones have now been reassigned to undredged sections, freeing up space for residential use and enabling faster processing of ownership documentation.
This is the third revision of the land use blueprint since it was first introduced in August 2023 by the previous administration. A second version was gazetted in October 2024, incorporating newly dredged areas and forming the basis for an updated land allocation draw. However, overlapping allocations between the two plans and continued delays in dredging led to further complications.
The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure has stated that the new changes were made in consultation with the association representing land recipients. A fresh lottery draw is scheduled to take place this month, after which the registration process will begin. Once survey work is completed, eligible recipients will receive formal documentation, allowing the handover of land to proceed without further delay.
