GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): A number of provincial council members and residents of southern Ghanzi province say most members of the council are busy performing their personal tasks and do not attend meetings.
Under the civil servant law, government employees cannot stay absent from duty for three consecutive days without an emergency need, otherwise the absent days would be marked unpaid.
Mohammad Halim, a resident of Ghazni City, the provincial capital, said provincial council members should evaluate the performance of local government and bring the government and the people closer.
“Some provincial council members have left their jobs and gone to districts to fight against militants,” he said.
Noorullah, another dweller of the city, also said the council members were busy dealing with their personal matters.
He claimed most members of the council were uneducated and they did not know about their responsibilities.
A civil society activist, Mohammad Arif, said provincial council officials did not perform their duty properly. Ghazni people would possibly boycott in future elections, he said.
People voted them to power at the expense of their lives, but they betrayed them by not attending their office, Arif added.
Deputy provincial council head, Abdul Jami Jami, confirmed people’s complaints and said some council members were not attending office despite receiving privileges and security guards from the government.
He said the council’s administrative board was trying to make sure the council members were attending their office in a timely manner.
Jami confirmed some of the council members had picked up guns fighting against militants. But he did not name anyone.
The council secretary, Hamidullah Sarwari, also confirmed the absence of colleagues but said they were overseeing all government projects.
The Ghazni provincial council has 19 members including four women.
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