د پنځم مکروريانو پروژه کې له خلکو ١٢،٥ ميليونه ډالر اخيستل شوي خو کار يې په ټپه ولاړ دى

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Urban Development Ministry says work on the much-delayed 5th Macro Rayan Housing project would be launched soon to secure $12.5 million public investment in the scheme.

Nilofar Langar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Urban Development, told Pajhwok Afghan News the 5th Macro Rayan project was launched in 2015 and was expected to be completed in two years.

But the project could not be completed because Uygar Kalip Company, the contractor, did not spent its own money and relied on the amount collected from public.

“Some people give the money lump sum and others in installments, so far the money collected from the private investor is $12.5 million against 268 apartments”.

The spokesperson said the President had recently ordered the contract to be awarded to a new company and canceled with Uygar Kalip.

Ahmad Zia Hamid, in-charge of the project, said: “The project was initiated as a collective effort and 170 house owners who are residents of the area awarded 200 square metres area each to the project and in return they will get 85 square metres apartments.”

He said the purpose of the project was to convert unplanned areas into planned areas. In addition, he said the ministry would construct apartments on 115 square metres area out of the earlier mentioned area for 313 outsider clients. One square metre of the apartment is accounted for $750.

Hamid said the price of every three-room apartment (113 square metres) was $8,4750, four-room (150 square metres) $12,500 and five-room (183 square metres) $137,250.

He said the project being delayed for three years due to the lack of funds.

Hamid said all the money collected had been used for construction of apartments.

“Currently six blocks are under construction and reconstruction”, he said, adding an 18-storey block had been partially completed and a 13-storey, three-storey and two-storey blocks had been completed. The construction of a new block would also begin in near future.

Hamid said the previous company was responsible to pay probable loss and the Ministry of Urban Development had shared the company’s violation issue with judiciary organs.

Pajhwok Afghan News tried to seek comment on the issue from the Attorney General Office, but no official there responded.

Haji Mirzah Shah, the head of Chambar Pul-i-Khumri Company, said his company had prepared concrete worth $3 million for the 5^th Macro Rayan project but he still did not receive money for the project in the past two and half a year. “The government also does not listen to us,” he said.

Ahmad Shah Haidari, a resident of Kabul, is one of those who had paid money for getting an apartment in the project, said no one could be held accountable for the delay in the project implementation.

“We are a seven-member family and I pay $300 as monthly rent for our current house, we were promised that we would receive our apartment within six months but two and half a year has passed,” he said.

Haidari said his economic situation was not good and the government should pay back his money if it could not honor its promises.

nh/mds/ma