Paktika Dept. of Martyrs & Disabled Affairs lacks staff

SHARAN (PAN): The Department of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs in southeastern Paktika province is facing a lack of staff, officials said on Wednesday.

They said the department had allocated 24 million afghanis – about $510,000 — for distribution to the heirs of martyrs and the disabled this year.

The department head, Rahmatullah Farmoli, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the money would be distributed to the disabled and the families of those killed in war at a rate of six million afghanis – about $127,500 — per quarter.

He said the department’s staff shortage was a big problem. He said the department had 28 employees, but only six of them were at the department; the rest had been sent to Kabul for verification of their documents.

Farmoli said that efforts were in place to open branches of the department in all districts with the help of the provincial government.

He said the department had asked humanitarian organizations to launch reconstruction projects in the province so that residents could get employment.

“We have so far distributed six million afghanis to families of martyrs and the disabled in the first quarter of the current year,” the Farmoli said.

 “We have almost 1300 registered martyrs and 800 disabled people,” Farmoli said, adding that the amount given to any family depended on the number of children.

Some other officials at the department also complained about the staff shortage.

Muhammad Kabeer, a manager at the department, said he was working alone at his management branch. After the former director left the office, he said, some others left with him. The remaining staff has been unable handle the workload, he said.

He said he had been working at the department for the last six years. He receives 6000 afghanis in salary, which has not been increased during the period, nor has he been promoted.

He said he needed four or five more officials to work in his section.

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