LASHKARGAH (SW): Members of the Provincial Council in southern Helmand province leveled serious allegations of corrupting and landgrabbing against the capital Lashkargah’s Municipality on Sunday.
The PC members argue that the Lashkargah Municipality has issued lease documents of personal and state property to individuals against huge sums of bribed.
Mohammad Kareem Atal, Head of the Helmand PC believed the practice has been going on for at least last two years. He blamed the former governor to be involved as well.
He told SW duplication of lease documents has caused feuds among locals over the property right. “We are confused now how to resolve this mess!” he said.
He said so many people have brought this issue to the PC with documented proofs about corruption and fraud in issuing documents for townships, markets, fuel stations etc.
Lashkargah Municipality however, denies the claims.
Ahmad Masoud Selab, depty administrator at the LM argued that the lease documents are issued legally with the approval by the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs (MoUDA).
“We have not initiated these affairs, people came-up with development plans for the land and we issued them land with the approval of MoUDA”, he said.
He said the LM was striving to lift the face of Lashkargah’s provincial capital.
Civil society activists in the province have gathered documents and plan to take the issue to the capital Kabul. They told SW there has been significant rise in feuds over land in the provincial capital because of the dual and even triple-ownership issues.
ENDS
