President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has sent back the bill seeking amendments to Maldivian Land Act to make it mandatory for land to be handed over to the allottees within three months of the publication of permanent list of recipients.

President Dr. Muizzu returned the bill without ratification on Thursday, requesting the Parliament to reconsider the 9th amendment to the Maldives Land Act, the President's Office said.

The Parliament passed the amendment during the 22nd sitting of the first session of the Parliament on 29 April. The bill was sent to the President's Office for ratification on 2 May 2024.

The bill, tabled by Galolhu Dhekunu MP Mikail Naseem, was passed by the parliament with 35 votes from the 41 members present at the session.

Though the Bill initially sought to make it mandatory for the land recipients to receive land plots within six months of the permanent list release, the committee that reviewed the Bill reduced the time limit to three months.

MP Mikail said that the main reason for the amendment is to address the concerns raised by the residents of Male' area who were allotted land plots under the 'Binveriya Scheme' but have not yet received their plots.

He added that the Bill would ensure that such delays would not recur and that people would not have to wait long periods to received their land plots. Mikail added that this would also make the relevant authorities accountable.

In his proposed Bill, MP Mikail said that the recipients should receive their land plots within six months after the final list has been published on the gazette.