Nangarhar proposes 383 uplift projects in FY 1400

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Economy Department officials in eastern Nangarhar province say they had approved 105 projects in the province’s development budget for 1399 solar year but only 45 of these projects are ready for use.

They say the development budget of the abovementioned fiscal year was around 4.6 billion afghanis and they spent 85pc of the budget.

Ghulam-u-llah Afghanyar, Nangarhar economy director, on Wednesday revealed details of their activities throughout the year.

He said 45 out of 105 approved projects had been completed, 32 projects in progress, nine projects were in National Procurement Commission, 14 have not yet been initiated and work on five projects has been stopped for various reasons.

“14 projects have not yet been started because the budget for these projects was spent during the coronavirus crisis,” he added.

Afghanyar said the provincial economy department had proposed 383 uplift projects worth around 9.2 billion afghanis to the government for the 1400 solar year but the Parliament was yet to approve the national budget. He added that they were unaware of the number of projects which would be approved.

He stressed they planned a balanced implementation of uplift projects in urban and rural areas.

Tribal elders of Nangarhar’s various districts claim that no construction project has been undertaken in their districts for years.

Mohammad Naeem Walar, a tribal elder of Hisarak district, said the government has not undertaken any projects in health, education, agriculture and rehabilitation sectors of the district.

Haji Jafar, a tribal elder of Shirzad district, held similar views and said the Nangarhar administration focuses only on Jalalabad city and nearby districts, neglecting rural areas with regard to development projects

Hr/ma