Housing minister faces questioning

Bahrain's Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al Joder faces questioning by parliament over the deteriorating housing situation in Dair village, an MP said.

The village is located on the country's second largest island Muharraq, just north of the capital.

MP Ali Al Samaheji's announcement came during a protest by hundreds of residents of the area yesterday afternoon, demanding benefits from housing projects.

His statement coincided with an announcement from Muharraq Governor, Salman Bin Eisa Bin Hindi, who met with the protesters and said that a meeting with His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa will be organised soon to present their grievances.

"The meeting is part of a number of audiences for the people of the area of Muharraq with the King," he told protesters.

"Residents from Al Dair and Samahij, a nearby village, will be able to meet with the King and present their grievances," the governor said.

Bin Hindi told protesters that he understood their problems and admitted that the projects in the area and the government's financial assistance were inadequate to meet their housing requirements.

Al Samaheji said that he had presented a proposal to Al Joder to address the issue. "Following today's protest I will be asking the minister to clarify the situation to us in parliament," he said.

The writer is an Arab journalist based in Manama