Dept heads serving more than 3 years being replaced: Habibi

Efforts for enforcing the rule of law and good governance, eradication of corruption and control of land-grab have been stepped up in Khost province, a top government official claimed on Saturday.
Governor Hukam Khan Habibi, in an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, said provincial government servants had been reshuffled on the bases of clear principles to eradicate corruption.
He said some heads of provincial government departments and certain other employees accused of corruption had been put behind bars.
“So far reshuffles and transfers of employees have taken place in 25 different provincial government institutions. In addition, some high-ranking officials convicted of corruption have been jailed,” he added.
“Heads of provincial government departments who had been in office for the past three years but did not serve the people will be removed from their positions,” the governor announced.
“There are some departmental heads and employees who have long been unchanged in their positions, and their performance has not been satisfactory. Under the law, already the people tested should no more be tested. Instead new ones should be introduced,” he suggested. Although land-grab was a pervasive issue, in Khost a specific campaign had been launched against the practice, he said, adding the drive was launched from the teachers’ township and so far three townships had been retaken.
Referring to the security environment, Habibi said Khost shared borders with Kurram and North Waziristan tribal regions of Pakistan, but the situation in the province was still satisfactory. He called cooperation from the masses and strong coordination among the security forces the main reason behind the good security situation.
The governor added that recently some targeted attacks and incidents of insecurity had happened. The enemy, according to him, has lost the courage of face-to-face fighting with the security forces and has resorted to spreading fear among the people.
Currently tens of small and big development projects were underway in the province, the governor noted. None of the projects had been negatively affected by insecurity, he maintained. The supply of imported electricity and work on the international airport were some of the mega projects that had been without any security problem, Habibi concluded.