According to Hira School, there was no illegality in gaining the land in-front of the school and the site was obtained through requesting the civic organisation to host sporting events so that schoolchildren may continue to participate in physical education classes.
In a video report titled “A case of alleged sale of the road in front of Hira School by Addu Council” that was released by Express News on Thursday, it was claimed that the ‘Alivaa’ road, which had previously been allocated for the construction of a driving track, was assigned to Hira School by corrupt means.
The Hira School issued a statement that read, “The report is baseless and we strongly condemn it.”
Additionally, they guaranteed that Hira School had acquired the site legally and in accordance with all rules and regulations.
The Hira School has been operating as a nonprofit institution out of a small space in a well-wisher’s residence since 2010. The Addu City Council provided the school land in 2011. In 2019, the school was relocated to the permanent structure after extensive work.
The statement claims that prior to the establishment of the school, the road going up to Shamsuddin Bodu Fandiyaaru Thakurfaanu Road (Link Road) from Alivaa Road in front of Hira School was a site packed with trees and potholes. The area was razed, levelled with sand, and utilised as a road leading from Alivaa Road to Link Road after the ground there had been cleared and levelled for the construction of the Hira School.
However, the Addu City Council declared in 2019 that Shamsuddin Road would be closed. The civic organization also declared that the ‘Hira’ road between Ameenee Magu and the Hira School gate will be the main thoroughfare in the region.
In order to complete the physical education elements of the national curriculum, the children at Hira School reportedly had a playground scarcity from the start. Previously, pupils used the Hithadhoo official ball ground for sporting events, which was near where Hira School was located before. The biggest issue, according to the school, was the lack of space for athletic activities when they later moved to the new building.
The statement claims that Hira School had been seeking the Addu City Council to acquire a portion of land so that students could engage in sports in front of the school.
According to the statement, “as a result of this initiative, the Addu City Council resolved to allocate a portion of the land in front of Hira School to the school at its 7th official meeting in 2022.”
To ensure the safety of the students, the road connecting the school was relocated between the driving track and the school land because the land assigned to the school was separate from the school building. The city council also withdrew the roadway from the parcel of land.
The statement read, “It is a subject of concern for all those affiliated with the school that the ‘Express’ daily is spreading such in a fashion wherein the value of the school is subverted and gives the illusion that it is run under political/corrupt influence.”
