HOMES at a new government housing project are being "stolen" and handed out to people who don't qualify for them, a group of angry MPs claimed yesterday. They claim the 'Nuwaidrat' housing project should only be allocated to residents from Nuwaidrat, Eker, Ma'ameer and Sanad, as was initially promised.
The Al Wefaq MPs claim that after the project's name was changed to 'Hawrat Sanad', it included residents from Isa Town and Riffa.
The GDN reported yesterday that the distribution of the houses began through random draw and will continue for three days covering waiting lists dating back to 1992.
People from the initial four villages protested outside the Housing Ministry on Sunday over alleged secrecy in the homes distribution and demanded that the project should benefit only their villages.
MPs Jawad Fairooz, Khalil Al Marzooq and Abali Mohammed Hassan said that changing the original allocation plan for the project was like stealing homes from the residents of the four villages.
They claimed that the project was being used as a "political tool" to change the demographics of the constituencies for the next elections.
It is understood that the government changed the name of the project during official letters exchanged between MPs and its officials when it was being reviewed by parliament.
They claim that between 2002 and 2008, the project was always referred to as 'Nuwaidrat Project', however, it eventually changed to 'Hawrat Sanad Project'.
Mr Fairooz demanded to see official documents and plans that claim the name of the project was 'Hawrat Sanad' and the areas that would benefit from it.
"Since the start, it was called the 'Nuwaidrat Project' and the change of name is considered as stealing the rights of the people of these areas," he told a Press conference at the society's premises in Bilad Al Qadeem.
"Just because the project has been referred to with a new name doesn't mean we will allow it or that the people of the four areas will remain quite.
"The housing units in that project belong to the people of Nuwaidrat, Eker, Ma'ameer and Sanad and anyone trying to say otherwise is obviously stealing their rights".
He said that when the project was first announced, it covered four areas, where residents have been waiting anxiously to receive new homes.
The project includes 3,502 housing units under construction, and 9,673 units ready to be distributed.
The government has allocated BD20 million to fund the project and agreed to generate an additional BD200m.
"How will they raise BD200m? Will it be enough for the entire project?" asked Mr Fairooz.
Mr Hassan said that the society planned to take measures to resolve the issue.
"We have already sent letters to His Majesty King Hamad and Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa explaining our resentment regarding the name change and the distribution list and have requested their immediate intervention.
"We also demanded the government to create other projects for allocating housing units to the people instead of taking from this project."
Mr Hassan said that the people of the four areas have been protesting for 511 days, but their efforts came to nothing.
"They started this project by signing a petition years ago asking for a housing plan to be drawn up for these four areas and now when everything is ready, someone comes and steals it."
Mr Al Marzooq said that a solution to the problem was essential to avoid a "social conflict".
Representatives of the Housing Civil Committee, who have staged a 16-month vigil demanding homes, were present at the Press conference.
"The protest will continue and we demand to see official documents that state the project's name has been officially changed and it will be given to these other areas," said committee head Jaffar Ali.
