15 years on, no access road to 5 Nuristan districts

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Access roads remain uneven during the past 15 years in eastern Nuristan province, where there is no road to connect five districts with the provincial capital, Paroon.

The people of Nuristan and members of the provincial council blame the situation on what they allege massive administrative corruption in reconstruction affairs.

They say their problems multiply in winter. Khalilullah Ghayur, the provincial council secretary, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Sunday that no road or highway had been constructed during the past 15 years to connect some districts with Paroon.

He said most of the roads in Nuristan remained unpaved because funds allocated to such projects always went into private pockets. However, he named no one.

The provincial council members last year closed their office in Paroon to protest against the government for not reconstructing roads in the province.

Residents of the five districts, which have no access road to Paroon, say they reach the provincial capital by travelling through neighboring Kunar and Laghman provinces.

These districts are Barg-i-Matal, Kamdesh, Doab, Mandol and Nurgram and these districts are called western Nuristan.

A resident of Barg-i-Matal district, Khan Zali, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “It is very important to connect the western Nuristan with the center, 15 years on, no road to these districts could be constructed.”

A resident of Paroon, Wasil, said people faced a lot of problems in travelling home from the centre to districts. “Those who have jobs here are unable to leave for home in months.”

The rundown condition of the existing roads multiplies people’s problems when snowfall begins in winter/

Local officials hold their predecessors for the current situation of roads in the province.

Governor Hafiz Abdul Qayum said currently many construction projects including roads were in progress in Nuristan.

“The previous administration is responsible for being unable to do something appropriate in this sector. Resources, foreign aid have reduced compared to the past, but most of the work you see is done recently, in the past three years and people know it.”

The governor said it had been planned to construct half a kilometer road in Paroon, sub-roads and some bridges.

He said Paroon would be connected to eastern and western parts of the province and the 76km Paroon-Asadabad road would be reconstructed in near future.

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