HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of western Herat province say development projects have been slow going in the province since the new administration was established around nine months ago.
Some residents say asphalt work on the road from Darb Kandahar area to SpeenAdah in the province and one of the municipality's most important projects, is yet to be completed in one and a half years.
Political changes in the country and appointments of new mayors are said to be the reason behind the project’s suspension for multiple times.
For the first time after the establishment of the new administration, an 875 meters portion of the northern part of the road was asphalted in October last year.
However, slow paced work on the southern part of the road has made local people angry.
Shamir, a shopkeeper in Darb Kandahar area, told Pajhwok Afghan News that dust raising as a result of vehicles’ movement polluted his shop. He said that the road was in bad condition since last five years.
He said before the asphalt work on the road began, they were suffering from dusts of the road but now incompleteness of the road had made them uncomfortable.
Gol Ahmad, another resident of the area, told Pajhwok that the former mayor of Herat city under the previous administration was corrupt and no one had expected the completion of the project. However, he said that the current mayor should complete the project.
Kamran Alizadah, a civil society activist in Herat, believes that slow paced work on the project would harm people’s trust in the government.
Alizadah seemed satisfied with the new mayor who was appointed two months ago; however, he stressed that there was need for more development works in the province and effective plans should be created for the prosperity of the country.
On the other hand, Herat municipality officials say there is 10.5 million afghanis deficit in the project based on their estimation compared to the funding of the project under the previous government.
An official in Herat municipality, who did not want to be named, told Pajhwok that their estimation shows there is a deficit of 10.4 million afghanis in the funding of the project.
Herat mayor, HayatullahMuhajirFarahi, said that work on the project had been suspended due to continued rains and absence of a suitable weather.
He said that work on the project would begin in current New Year and would be completed as soon as possible.
Farahi stressed that the municipality was working on many projects in the New Year and was trying to start their work soon after their budget was approved.
Meanwhile, NizamuddinRasouli, head of the company which implements Kandahar Darb Project, said that their work was not going well under the previous administration due to frequent changes of mayors.
He said that they would launch work on the project as soon as they receive fund for it.
mds/ma
