The Education Department of southern Ghazni province says the Taliban militants do not allow construction of school buildings in the province.
But Taliban say they stopped construction of a school building because substandard material and due to embezzlement in the project.
Mohibullah Ansar, the provincial education department head, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Taliban militants were not allowing construction of schools in areas under their control.
According to Ansar, his department plans to reconstruct at least 113 schools in different areas of the province but the move opposed by militants.
Ansar said the schools had already existed but lack of buildings for them created many problems for students in both winter and summer seasons.
“The Taliban allow no school building to be constructed in their controlled-area but efforts are underway to address the issue,” he added.
Ansar said they were ready to provide 10 percent of the projects money to the militants but they did not accept it.
“The militants demand money from contracted companies which obviously affects the quality of the construction,” the official informed.
For instance, he said that the construction of a school building in Giro district was completed 50 percent but the insurgents had stopped its work and demanded money before the work on it resumed.
A principal of a school, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he had met the Taliban for several times in the area to allow the construction of schools but the Taliban opposed his request.
The Taliban confirmed the issue. The group’s spokesman ZabihullahMujahid said they banned schools’ construction because their work was substandard.
Mujahid said they had not demanded money from provincial education department.
He said they had banned the schools construction because of low quality materials were used in such projects.
