Sunday
22nd Dec 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Male' City deputy mayor Ahmed Nareesh, Photo:
Acting Mayor Ahmed Narysh has said that the government has not influenced the council and has not made any attempt to take over the work of the council. The city council has approved the transfer of some projects to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction.
Presidential Corporate Development Minister Mohamed Shahid who attended the meeting said the council's projects should be transferred to the ministry.
The council proposed to hand over some projects worth more than 100 million MVR to the ministry. If work does not start within six months, the projects will be handed back to the council. Ten councilors attended the meeting and nine councilors supported the motion.
Mayor-elect, Adam Azim, has said that the council's majority decision was taken in violation of Chapter 8 of the Constitution and the Decentralization Act. He also accused the ministers of the President's Office of trying to take over the work of the city council.
The deputy mayor denied the allegations and said the government does not influence the council.
''The council decided to present a matter to the council floor because the majority of the council members wanted it that way,'' Narysh said.
“No government minister or presidential office has made any attempt to interfere in the work of the council,” he said.
Azim made similar allegations when the city council seized the Ameenee Magu road development project, though it was later handed it over to the Road Development Corporation (RDC).
The city council and RDC agreed on a figure of 39 million MVR for the project. However, it was later awarded to the RDC by the previous Government for more than double the previous amount, with a sum of 84 million MVR.