26,000 Uruzganis to work on rural projects worth 800m afghanis

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): Under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, a number of projects worth 800 million afghanis have been launched in the Chora district of central Uruzgan province, in which 26,000 people will be employed for 18 months.

The reconstruction, development and water supply projects are being executed by the Social Support and Livelihoods Organization of Afghanistan.

Zubair Ahmad Badlon, an official of the organization, told Pajhwok  that the projects would be completed in 18 months and 26,000 people would be employed in 219 villages of the district to clean and build canals and roads in their areas. He said each person will receive 450 afghanis per day.

Funded by the World Bank, the projects will cost 800 million afghanis. He said 85 percent of the amount would be spent on the projects and the remaining 15 percent on assisting needy families.

He said the program was aimed at giving people money against work, providing them work opportunities, helping the poor and homeless people and providing them with services.

He asked local officials and people to cooperate with his organization in the implementation of the program.

Uruzgan Rural Rehabilitation and Development director Maulvi Mohammad Ghani Bilal said such projects were useful and suggested that all aid should be given in exchange for work.

He asked the individuals being hired to come to their work on time daily and sincerely perform the task given to them.

Chora district residents are happy for being provided work for months.

A resident of the district, Mohammad Sharif, told Pajhwok that he and his villagers would get 450 afghanis a day for cleaning the roads and canals of their area.

He added that the villagers were committed to carrying out the assigned responsibility honestly.

Previously, the people of Uruzgan had received aid in exchange for work, but this is the first time that people are being employed for a long time.

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