NEILY (PAN): Calling Daikundi as one of the neglected provinces in terms of development, the residents of central province accused donor agencies and the government of paying no attention to develop the province.
 
They identified unpaved roads, non-execution of infrastructure schemes and insecurity in some districts of the province were the main problems that could not be resolved sine last decade. Daikundi shares borders with Uruzgan and Helmand provinces.
 
Deputy Governor Habibullah Radmanish said: “No development projects executed in Daikundi. The government and international community have neglected the province in terms of completion of development projects. It really raised many questions in our minds.”
 
In his chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, he said local officials and legislators had raised the issues of the province time and again with senior authorities and donors in Kabul but nothing could be done so far.
 
With a sarcastic tone, he said: “We’re just wondering why our province is left undeveloped. I think our single fault is that that we did no support terrorists.”
 
Jan Mohammad Fazal, a resident of Neily city, said neither one inch road was asphalted nor a bridge could be constructed over rivers, noting dozens of passengers’ vehicles overturned because of the dilapidated condition of roads.
 
He said more than 30 people had been killed in Daikundi the current year, linking the issue with uneven and bumpy roads.
 
Mohammad Nabi, a shopkeeper from the capital city, said government had virtually done nothing to carry out massive development, adding that the Neily city presented the same picture as it was 30 years ago.
 
A number of buildings constructed in the province were belonged to government departments, he said, claiming residents were deprived of health care services, electricity and development projects.
 
Husain Ali Muntazari, a member of provincial council alleged the government of openly demonstrating discriminatory policies against the province.
 
He said the central administration paid no attention to help resolve problems of residents since Daikundi was upgraded to the status of a province.
 
Suhrab Ali Etimadi, provincial council head said the province was facing discriminatory approach of the high officials and it did not get enough development budgets.
 
He said the private sector and other NGOs did not invest in the province because the province was located far away, adding that the location deprived the province of development projects.
 
Security problems:
 
Daikundi witnessed security threats because of having shared borders with Helmand, Uruzgan and Ghor provinces. The route leading through Uruzgan to Kandahar province was the closest way of supplying food items and fuel to Daikundi, but residents experiences multiple problems due to insecurity on the road. 
 
Several trucks supplying food items to the province most of the time hit roadside bombs on the roads, leaving many people killed or wounded. Armed rebels were issuing warnings to truck drivers to avoid commuting on the road.
 
Daikundi Governor Abdul Haq Shafaq said: “Residents face multiple problems. We have been striving to implement our policies in order to address complaints of the locals.”
 
He said he could not make the mention of problems because there was not a single problem rather the people were in grip of unspeakable issues who were left undeveloped.
 
According to local officials, people of the province were facing economy issues amid lack of access to education, agriculture and healthcare services.