Majlis members seek details of Batinah road plan

MUSCAT: The Majlis Al Shura, for the second consecutive day, held discussions with Sheikh Saif bin Mohammad Al Shabibi, Minister of Housing, during its annual sitting under the chairmanship of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of the Majlis.

The Majlis yesterday continued ahead with the rest of the questions and deliberations made by members of the Majlis on various themes of the ministerial statement, especially regarding urban plans of the Ministry and the challenges it faced.

The queries particularly related to providing services in these new residential locations, mechanisms and conditions of distributing land plots to various uses, claims to ownership of granted governmental agricultural land plots, the right of access to land and the grounds and conditions of extension and aspects of social housing, housing loans and aid.

During the meeting, a presentation was shown by the Housing Ministry about the Al Batinah coastal road project, tracks, actions and procedures that have been completed in this regard and how the Ministry is dealing with the various aspects of the project.

The Majlis members, particularly members of the Governorates of South and North Al Batinah, raised several questions and comments about the project. The queries focused on the economic and social goals and visions— planned and expected— related to the project, land plots and the sites affected by the project and how the Ministry is dealing with them. They wanted to know the financial and compensations granted to the citizens affected by the project, and the mechanisms and considerations followed by the ministry in question of compensation.

The status of the new residential areas provided to citizens affected by the project, their locations and availability of services and other related topics were also sought by the members.

The Majlis Al Shura will continue its meeting today by holding its 19th session, which has been allocated for discussions on a number of topics on its agenda, the foremost of which is the Majlis bylaw and reports by its standing committees on various topics. -