Tweet
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Seven cabinet ministers, accompanied by lawmakers, on Tuesday discussed with residents their problems in the presence of government officials in southern Kandahar province.
The ministers of education, agriculture, rural rehabilitation, counternarcotics, public works and energy and power attended a gathering at the governor's house. Hundreds of people attended the gathering.
Tribal elders said the central government had failed to keep promises regarding development projects in the province.
In his opening remarks, Governor, Dr. Toryalai Wesa claimed he had always raised people's problems with the officials in Kabul, but received no positive response.
The governor criticised the higher education minister, saying he had never arrived in the province. Promises made by ministries remained confined to paperwork only, the governor said, asking the ministers to pay visits to the province instead of going on foreign trips.
In response to a question, Education Minister Farooq Wardak promised efforts at reopening the schools that had been closed due to different problems. He said his ministry welcomed any demand from Kandahar people.
Rural Rehabilitation Minister Jarullah Mansoori did not agree with people's complaints, saying thousands of reconstruction projects had been completed in the province. He added work on 780 other projects, worth 774 million afghanis, was currently ongoing.
Agriculture Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi, Public Works Minister Qudus Hamidi, Deputy Energy and Water Minister Eng. Mohammad Sami and Counternarcotics Minister Zarar Ahmad Muqbil said they would keep the promises held out to Kandahar residents.
Wolesi Jirga member Abdur Rahim Ayubi blamed the visiting ministers for being biased toward Pashtuns. He said they had no expectation from Ismail Khan, the energy minister. "You have historic enmity with us. You unleashed violence on us, damaged our houses and villages and killed our people," the lawmaker told the ministers.