TALUQAN (PAN): Bolstered security and creation of job opportunities for youth of Takhar province are among the major demands of the residents.
Abdul Qahar Hakimi, head of provincial council said security was the main demand of the people, saying presence of Taliban remnants and other armed groups created chaos among the residents of the province.
He underlined the relevant officials should establish greater coordination among themselves in an attempt to counter any illegal group or armed individual and their nefarious designs.
Suhailan Joya, member of provincial council said women played crucial role in the development of the province after the collapse of Taliban regime, acknowledging they were strong supporter of government officials. “Officials always tried to appoint women on lower posts,” he added.
She said women had the capacity of handling higher posts such as governor of a province or heads of provincial department but only women affairs department was allocated for women.
She urged government to appoint women on higher positions such as head of provincial department to serve better especially women folk.
Mohammad Hashim Sahibzada, an influential of the province said current level of joblessness was really a shocking scenario, adding most people were farmers who after cultivation did not know what to do.
During the 10 years tenure of President Karzai, none of the infrastructural project has been implemented and the people of Takhar have been totally ignored. People want establishment of factories, which would help create job opportunities, Sahibzada said.
“People of Takhar have greater unity among their ranks but people hailing from other provinces want to create turmoil and take political advantages of the situation. I ask them to maintain unity and do not server others’ interests,” he asked.
Shamsuddin, a disable vendor in the provincial capital, Taluqan, said: “I was physically sound but I lost one of my legs during resistance against the Taliban. I hoped the government will provide us with job opportunity but it did not happen. I demand the government to launch a poverty alleviation program to help facilitate the disable and poor segment of society,” he concluded.
Akhtar Mohammad, a tribal elder from Takhar province said despite having plenty of water resources, people were still suffering during the spring season when water level went down. He asked for provision of potable water.
Farzana, a student at Bibi Mahro High School in the provincial capital said, the education level of some teachers was lower even than that of their students.
She said the dilemma was that those teachers got themselves appointed through nepotism and bribed the high officials. “These teachers caused tremendous loss to the future of students and the nation. Most of the students got failed in the examinations. I am a first grade in our class but didn’t learn from my school teachers. I learnt my lessons outside from my schools from efficient and professional teachers,” she added.
Baz Mohammad, a shopkeeper in Taluqan said electricity was the main problem in the city, adding the officials promised repeatedly for years that they would help ensure provision of electricity from Tajikistan to the city but that could not be materialized.
He said generation of electricity with the help of fuel was too expensive to be afforded by the people. He demanded the government should ponder measures to supply electricity from Tajikistan, which would multiply businesses and create more job opportunities for the people.