CHARIKAR (Pajhwok): Some sources have complained about years-long delay in implementation of a drinking water and a hospital projects in central Parwan province. While corruption is viewed as main factor behind the years long delay in implementation of these projects but relevant authorities and individuals reject any wrongdoing.
Drinking Water Project: The Salang Drinking Water Project, which aims to supply Salng water to Charikar City, was expected to be completed in January 2018 but the key project is still incomplete. Eng. Abdul Karim Naderi, deputy head of Rural Rehabilitation Department, said the National Procurement Commission had inked the contracts of these projects with Naveed Bagramwal in 2016. The 623 million afs project was expected to be completed in 18 months.
He said the Presidential Palace had extended the project completion time for another 18 months but work was underway at a slow-pace which is unsatisfactory. He said two percent work on the project is remaining and if the company wants, it can complete it in one month or 45 days. Delay in the project has angered local residents and according to the Water Supply Authority, of total 20,000 families in Charikar City, 16,000 families have no access to clean drinking water.
Haji Mohammad Khalil Fazli, the Provincial Council member who monitors the project, accused Bagramwal Company of negligence and lacking the ability to complete the project and said: “The company has done injustice with people.” He was optimistic that the project would be completed in coming 20 days and said: “The legal aspect is a separate subject that the company would be held accountable, but it cannot free itself from us. Bagramwal should know that the money on which it strengthens personal business belongs to the nation. You did injustice with the people living in this city by delaying the water project.”
He demanded relevant legal authorities in to investigate the Naveed Bagramwal Company. Sheiq Qasemi, the Integrity Watch Auditor in Parwan, said that Naveed Bagramwal Company delayed the drinking water project because he enjoyed cordial relations with Parwan Governor Fazal Din Ayaar, Speaker Mir Rhman Rahmani and other high ranking officials in Parwan.
Without going into detail, Qasemi said that he had evidence that Bagramwal offered Land Cruisers to some officials in Parwan in order to keep mum over the delay of the project. But Eng. Mohammad HanifJurat, technical in-charge of NaveedBagramwal Company, rejected allegation that this company delayed the drinking water project and offered bribe to high ranking officials in Parwan.
He said the delay in the drinking water project was caused by some social barriers, construction of 13 steel bridges, acquisition of some lands, supply of needed pipe and some other challenges. Governor Fazal Din Ayaar also termed allegation against him in the project as baseless and said social, technical and other barriers hit the project and caused the delay.
However, he said that the project would be completed in the near future. Mohammad Ali Raqim, sectorial director of Parwan said that the project was stopped in Bagh Ali Mardan area due to complaint of one of the house owners who demanded a land plot from the government, but the problem was solved and work on the project resumed.
Parwan governor criticized the nature of contracts signed before his appointment as the province’s governor and said, “Definitely deals are made, we ask the ministry to inform us whenever it starts a project in Parwan.”
Parwan’s 200-bed hospital: The contract for construction of a 200-bed civil hospital in Parwan was given to NawidBagramwal in 2016, but it is currently stopped and incomplete. SafiullahWarasta, Parwan public health director, said that the hospital’s project worth 276.4 million afghanis had to be completed within 18 months since its launch.
However, he said that the project was twice suspended, each time 18 months and it was still only 70 percent completed. He said he had no information about the details of the project as it was signed between the National Procurement Authority and Nawid Bagramwal Company.
“We have several times contacted the company for completion of the project, former and current public health ministers are aware about the issue, the company owner had promised to complete the project, but it was yet to be completed,” he added. Warasta said that FazaldinAyar had informed the president in a video conference about the stoppage of the project and the president directed that the project should be handed over to the National Development Department of the Presidential Palace if the company failed to complete the scheme on time.
Ayar said that the project marred by corruption and problems was delayed for long time. “Required facilities are not considered in this building as it lacks oxygen pipes and heating system,” he added, saying the remaining part of the project would be given to another company as the current one failed to do its job.
ShayeqQasemi, Integrity Monitoring Network of Afghanistan official in Parwan, also said that their assessments show construction of the hospital project was not based on the proposal. “Based on the proposal and design, the hospital should have four gates, but only one is made, the oxygen room should have been in the first floor, but it was built on the fourth and fifth floors, there is no piping system placed and no facilities for people with disabilities created,” he added.
He added that the quality of cement used and tiling in the building were also not based on the proposal. Mohammad Khalil Fazli, a provincial council member of Parwan, claimed that Nawid Bagramwal Company had received the project’s contract based on its close relations with a number of officials of Parwan. However, he did not provide details.
He said that the owner of the company embezzled the money of water supply network and the hospital building and now lived in Turkey, while Parwan people still had no access to potable water and health services. On the other hand, Eng. Mohammad HanifJurat, technical in charge of NawidBagramwal Company, said that the project was scheduled to complete in 36 months and it was once extended for 18 months.
He said the company had completed 89 percent of the project work while received 85 percent of the project money. Jurat said that the project work was done in accordance with the public health ministry’s plan and design; however, the work of the project was stopped in 2020 due to absence of the government’s supervisor. According to Dr. Abdul QasimSangin, director of Parwan’s 100-bed civil hospital; lack of proper space, lack of working rooms, a hostel for doctors on duty, shortage of beds in the surgery section and lack of car park were the problems the hospital project faced.
