Khas Uruzgan residents demand public services from govt

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok):  The residents of Khas Uruzgan district of central Uruzgan province say they have been neglected by successive governments with regard to public facilities and their lives are becoming more difficult with the passage of time.

Khas Uruzgan district is situated 100 kilometers east of Tirinkot city and usually remains disconnected from the provincial capital in winter.

Abdullah Khan, a tribal elder from Matkazo area of the district, told Pajhwok Afghan News the road between Khas Uruzgan and Tirinkot has been in a rundown condition since last three decades and travelling on it is not less than a nightmare.

“We have shared the road issue with numerous officials who visited this district, to reconstruct this road but all our demands were neglected”, Abdullah Khan said.

He said uniform development was their right and every district should be paid equal attention.

Mohammad Ali, a resident of Khas Uruzgan bazaar, said official buildings, houses and shops destroyed in the previous wars were yet to be reconstructed.

He said the bazaar presented an ugly look due to the damaged buildings and the government should take measures to reconstruct them.

Sardar Wali , another resident of Khas Uruzgan district, complained about economic hardships, lack of assistance and poverty among the people, saying  poverty has forced many people to travel to foreign countries for work and they even endured hardships of illegal ways to foreign countries.

He asked government officials who visited the district to solve their problems.

Mawlawi Amin, the district chief, admitted that the district lagged behind in every sphere of life.

“We have shared the issues of damaged roads, destroyed houses and other buildings with the central government and now awaiting the government’s practical measures in this regard”, Amin said.

Uruzgan governor Mawlawi Mohammad Ali Jan Ahmad, who headed a delegation to the district, said he met local residents and listened to their problems. He promised they would share the report of their inspection and needs of the residents with officials in Kabul.

He said they would apprise the prime minister and the supreme leader of the dilapidated road, war damaged houses and other needs of the residents.

The governor said they would follow up these issues with the central government until practical measures were taken for their solution. He also planned to travel to other districts to know about people’s problems.

aw/ma