SAR-I-PUL CITY (Pajhwok): Some government servants in three districts of northern Sar-i-Pul province have not received their salaries over the past few months due to highway insecurity, officials said on Tuesday.
The New Kabul Bank branch in Sancharak district, where government officials received their salaries, was closed two years back. Over the past few months, salaries could not be taken to Gosfandi, Sancharak and Suzma Qala districts due to insecurity.
Agovernment servant based in Gosfandi district, Habibullah, told Pajhwok Afghan News most of the employees could not travel to Sar-i-Pul City to get their salaries due to highway insecurity.
Habibullah, who has a 7,000 afghanis salary, has been without pay over the past seven months, because the Taliban stop vehicles on the road to the provincial capital and capture government officials.
Likewise, Syed Bashir, a teacher in Suzma Qala district, claimed he had not been paid his salaries over the past six months because he could not travel to Sar-i-Pul City despite having a Kabul Bank card.
Executive Officer of Sancharak district Ghulam Ali Mohseni confirmed many government employees, including policemen and teachers, could not get their salaries due to insecurity.
However, a female teacher in Sancharak, Shahla, said she received her pay from the bank in the provincial capital, because she could easily carry the bank card as Taliban did not search women.
Her monthly salary is 4,000 afghanis, so she could not afford to pay nearly 1,500 afghanis in travel expenses each month to go to the provincial capital.
Provincial Council Chairman Mohammad Noor Rahmani confirmed the issue, saying he had shared the problem several times with the officials concerned, but remedial measures had not been taken as yet.
New Kabul Bank Manager Firoz Ahmadi said after closing the branch, they were supposed to transfer salaries of employees to the district headquarters.
But they have not been able to so over the past three months. If the security personnel cooperate with it, the bank is ready to transfer salaries.
Some employees might have not received their salaries for more than three months, because they did not turn up during the distribution of pay, he believed.
myn/mud
