Male’ City Council Rejects Infrastructure Minister’s Claims of Non-Cooperation

The Male’ City Council has rejected claims by Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib that the government is not receiving cooperation from the council, stating that the council itself is dominated by members of the ruling People’s National Congress.

The minister had earlier stated that road repairs and maintenance in islands and cities fall under the responsibility of local councils rather than government ministries, noting that councils receive substantial block grants annually and questioning whether these funds are being used effectively for tangible work.

He also accused the Male’ City Council of failing to cooperate on the redevelopment of Boduthakurufaanu Magu, stating that repeated requests to remove a market area to facilitate road expansion went unanswered, forcing contractors to proceed without constructing a pavement in that section.

In response, council media officer Aminath Shathufa Shafeeu dismissed the minister’s remarks as false, particularly those relating to flooding and development work in the capital.

She stated that the council has undertaken significant measures to address flooding, including the procurement and use of two global pumps, and added that eight previously flood-prone segments of Majeedhee Magu have now been resolved, attributing earlier issues to shortcomings by the housing authorities.

Shathufa further noted that more than 45,000 drains have been cleaned and that road repair works are ongoing despite challenges in obtaining materials from the Road Development Corporation.

Addressing the allegations of non-cooperation, she stated that the concept for the Boduthakurufaanu Magu project had been approved by the council, adding that the government had instructed market vendors to vacate the area during Ramadan but the council opted to delay the relocation until after the month to avoid disruption to businesses, with alternative stalls now arranged.

She also said the project had been initiated under a previous administration, with its funding, design and planning completed when current Mayor Adam Azim served as chief executive of the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company, and described the minister’s allegations as unfounded.

Shathufa further questioned the minister’s authority to intervene in council affairs, urging adherence to the Decentralisation Act and respect for the independence of local councils, while also noting that the ruling PNC holds a majority in the council and suggesting that the minister’s remarks implied criticism of members from his own party, which she characterised as politically motivated misinformation.

In a follow-up, she criticised delays in the renovation of Rasfannu and Sultan Park, noting that earlier assurances of completion within two months had not been met.

The PNC has previously expressed concern that some council matters were delayed due to the absence of its councillors, while the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party secured a majority of seats in the 4 April local council elections, with all incumbent MDP mayors retaining their positions.