The Parliament’s National Security Services Committee (241 Committee) is set to summon representatives from the Maldives Police Service and the Ministry of Defence to address the fire incident that devastated the green building housing several government ministries.
The fire, which occurred on Thursday, caused significant damage to the structure that housed the Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure, Ministry of Environment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Male’ City Council offices. The affected ministries have since been temporarily relocated to Dharubaaruge, with operations resuming on Sunday.
Committee Meeting Scheduled
In a message sent to Parliamentarians, the Parliament Secretariat confirmed that Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem, Chair of the 241 Committee, has scheduled a meeting for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Representatives from the Defence Ministry and Police are expected to provide details on the incident and the response efforts.
Opposition Allegations of Negligence
The fire has sparked political controversy, with the opposition party raising allegations of negligence on the part of authorities in handling the emergency. The opposition has announced plans to lodge formal complaints with the Maldives Police Service and the Police Integrity Commission to investigate potential lapses in law enforcement’s response to the fire.
Ministries Address Concerns
Dr. Abdulla Muththalib, Minister of Construction and Infrastructure, reassured the public that no critical housing-related documents were lost in the blaze. However, Minister of Housing Dr. Ali Haidar revealed that some documents related to land-use plans for a few islands were destroyed.
The incident has prompted questions about the preparedness of authorities to respond to emergencies of this scale, as well as concerns over the safeguarding of critical government records.
