Nangarhar leaders stress the importance of maintenance

The Nangarhar Provincial Development Council met at the governor’s compound Feb. 23 to discuss the importance of maintaining their structures to increase the government’s service delivery capability.

Deputy Gov. Mohammad Alam Ishaqzai appointed a special delegation consisting of representatives from the departments of economics, urban development, health and women’s affairs, as well as the Provincial Council, to present a report at next month’s PDC illustrating how the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan can better sustain their current facilities.

Coalition forces in Nangarhar have recently begun stressing the importance of operations and maintenance budgets to GIRoA, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander from Dallas. Today’s meeting represented a positive step towards them embracing that mentality.

Ishaqzai listed a number of areas the government controls that have fallen into disrepair, including roads, parks, schools, courthouses and clinics.

“There are so many things we have built, but we don’t maintain them,” Ishaqzai said. “We have schools with broken windows. We have clinics that cost American tax dollars we don’t use.”

Ishaqzai noted that GIRoA often forgets the buildings they already have once they’re constructed, preferring to look forward to the next project rather than safeguarding the one they just completed. He said he was “ashamed” of the state some of the government’s buildings.

“We need to start improvements ourselves,” he said. “We need to take practical steps or this country will go nowhere.” 

The Provincial Council representative at the meeting, Lal Mohammad Durni, echoed Ishaqzai’s words, asserting that the council was equally disappointed with the current state of affairs.

“The PC wants quality, we do not want quantity,” Durni said. “We will only invest in quality projects in the future.”

Ishaqzai stressed to the council that by not treating their facilities with respect, the government as a whole was failing the citizens of Afghanistan.

“This government was earned with the blood of the people,” said Ishaqzai. “We cannot waste that.”



Nangarhar's Provincial Development Council met at the governor's compound Feb. 23 to discuss how to better sustain their facilities.




Mohammad Alam Ishaqzai, Nangarhar's deputy governor, appointed a delegation to travel the province and determine how to better sustain their buildings during the Provincial Development Council meeting Feb. 23 at the governor's compound.



Nangarhar Provincial Council member Lal Mohammad Durni briefed the Provincial Development Council at the governor's compound Feb. 23. Durni asserted the PC would demand quality over quantity for all future projects in the province.