Families vow to continue homes demo
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
Published: 10th March 2008
A PROTEST over the allocation of government houses continued for the 18th day yesterday as families persisted with a sit-in that started almost three weeks ago.
More than 1,000 families from Nuwaidrat, Sanad, Ma’ameer and Eker are demanding that homes being built in a BD21 million housing scheme in their area be given to them.
Families vow to continue homes demo
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
Published: 10th March 2008
A PROTEST over the allocation of government houses continued for the 18th day yesterday as families persisted with a sit-in that started almost three weeks ago.
More than 1,000 families from Nuwaidrat, Sanad, Ma’ameer and Eker are demanding that homes being built in a BD21 million housing scheme in their area be given to them.
They all live in constituency six of the Central Governorate and claim they have already sold their old properties and land after being promised the new homes. However, they launched their protest after MPs from other areas of Bahrain demanded some of the homes be allocated to people from their constituencies.
Representatives of the families met with Central Municipal Councillor Radhi Aman to discuss the issue. He said the Housing Ministry was responsible for allocating government homes across the country, but claimed former council chairman Ibrahim Hussain had approved the allocation of the new houses exclusively for those in constituency six.
“Council chairman Abdulrahman Al Hassan should issue a statement stating that this housing project was allocated by the previous council chairman,” he said.
“This housing project was issued by Mr Hussain and it was approved in the presence of councillor Waleed Hijris at that time.”
Families from the area are being represented by a group calling itself the Sixth Constituency Housing Civil Committee, which has vowed to continue protesting until it receives guarantees that citizens from other areas will not benefit.
“The council has documents proving that the housing scheme goes to the four villages,” said committee member Jaffar Ali.
Families expecting to benefit from the housing project have reportedly already sold their property to the government to make way for it.
They claim 50 per cent of the project should be allocated to Nuwaidrat residents and the rest to the other three surrounding villages.
But they have been upset by rumours that half of the project would be allocated to other constituencies and have already sent a petition to the Royal Court in protest.
They say they will protest until it is allocated to residents of Nuwaidrat, Ma’ameer, Eker and Sanad. However, their protest has prompted another group of residents to launch their own appeal to be included in the housing project.
Residents from the governorate’s eighth constituency made their demands in a demonstration on Al Estiqlal Highway. They claimed that the project was being built in their constituency and should be allocated to East Riffa residents.
rasha@gdn.com.bh
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