Hundreds of Nuristanis hired on road project

PARON (Pajhwok): Hundreds of local residents are hired to work against food for construction of a 10-kilometer Want Wegal district of eastern Nuristan province, officials said Thursday.

The people working on the road construction are given food as their wage by World Food Program (WFP).

Mahmood Al Hassan, Want Waigal district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News the construction of the road had been ongoing over the past few months and the project would be completed in six months.

He said the road would link Azhok valley with the district centre.

Al Hassan said the road would connect central Nuristan with the eastern part of the province, particularly with Barg-i-Matal district.

A WPF representative in Nuristan told Pajhwok Afghan News the 10-kilometre long and four metres wide road in Want Waigal would be graveled. Hundreds of locals have been hired on the project.

In return for building the road in six months, he added, workers were given 12,000 bags of flour and 12,006 litres of ghee.

District residents are happy with the graveled road besides being provided with jobs.

Zakirullah is one of the workers hired on the road project. He works daily from morning till evening along with other villagers.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News each worker was given 92 kilograms of flour, 12 litres of ghee and a bag of salt in weekly wages.

He was happy getting a job in his village and working alongside other villagers on the project.

mds/mud