GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Most members of the provincial council (PC) have long been absent from their office in the capital of southern Ghazni province and are busy with their personal engagements.
According to the rules, no government official could stay off from duty for three days in a row without a solid reason, but parliament, provincial council members and government officials remain absent for months.
Haji Allah Dad, a resident of the Andar district, said local residents had been trying for the last few months to meet the provincial council members, but they had been missing from the office. “We have many times visited the PC office but found no one there. Sometimes two or three members sit there, but we could not meet any,” he complained.
Allah Dad recalled people had elected the PC members by risking their lives, but the public representatives had betrayed them and remained absent from office in an organized way.
Mohammad Ibrahim Amiri, deputy head of Waman group, said the PC members were engaged in their personal tasks and had no time to attend office.
He said people had voted the PC members in order their voice could reach government departments but their absenteeism had angered people who might not partake in future elections.
“The PC members receive their salaries and other benefits, they but do not perform their duty in a proper way,” he added.
Lal Mohammad from Qara Bagh district said he had been visiting the PC office for the last few days to get attested his documents for obtaining the national identity card. “But I could not find any member to attest my papers.”
Residents asked the Independent Directorate of Local Governance to emphasize on the presence of provincial council members in their office and performing duty in a proper way.
Abdul Jami Jami, the provincial council deputy head, also confirmed some members had been busy doing their personal businesses and remained absent from the provincial council meetings.
He said the provincial council members had attended only two meetings in the last eight months. “The members have police guards for their security and they receive monthly salaries but they do not perform duty, which is against the rules and regulations and the law.”
Jame said the provincial council administrative delegation had started efforts at convincing the absent members to attend meetings so they could serve the local residents by solving their problems.
The Ghazni provincial council has 19 members, including four females.
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