“Illegal township projects in Balkh are sub-standard”

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (SW): Based on the evidence that Balkh Municipality Department provided Salam Watandar with, all the 18 illegal township projects in the province are substandard.

Over the past years, many plots of lands have been usurped by the influential persons where Illegal Township have been built on.

The evidence suggests that the township projects such as Faqir Abad, Ismayel Balkhi, Shahrak Ali, Shahrak Inqelab and Shahrak Sarhadiha have been erected against the policy of the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs.

Eng. Hashem, an official at the Municipality in Mazar-e-Sharif City, said that based on the city’s master plan, 36 township projects have been legally allowed out of which 18 have faked the documents to build their projects.

Qader Musbah, a civil society activist, said that since the influential people are involved in the construction of such illegal projects, the local government could not manage to prevent it from being built.

Having said that, the owners of these projects claim that their projects are transparent and the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs has approved all their documents.

Dr.Afzal Hadid, Head of provincial council in Balkh, pointing out to the situation of the township projects, said that those who live in such township residential are deprived of the basic civic services.

Over the past years, building townships has changed into a profitable business for the influential officials who by usurping either personal or government lands, have made a great fortune out of it.

ENDS