Powerful Sar-i-Pul men draw stipends on fake names

SAR-I-PUL (PAN): Some powerful individuals and government officials, using fake names, have been benefiting from stipends meant for families of martyrs and people with disabilities in northern Sar-i-Pul province, residents complain.

There has been no transparency in the distribution of stipends to the families of martyrs and the disabled, Governor Syed Anwar Rahmati acknowledged to Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said some people had provided bogus documents to the officials concerned to get the amount. “Before relatives of a martyr would get a meager amount, but now the amount is increased to 21,500 afghanis a year,” he said.

Around 1,000 cards had been distributed to powerful men on fake documents, he said, adding a delegation that came to the province for investigation three years ago had been unable to resolve the problem.

The governor suggested a new survey should be conducted to issue new cards and establish bank accounts for illegible people after collecting necessary information in order to make the process transparent.

Residents said powerful men continued to receive stipends on behalf of their relatives who had died years ago of natural causes.

About 50 fake cards have been issued to relatives of powerful people in the Sar-i-Pul City, resident Mohammad claimed.

Manizha Qazizada, the Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled director also confirmed the issue of fake cards, saying 550 such cards had been discarded.

Around 11,000 martyrs and disabled people are registered with the department, she said.

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