India has once said that the country’s reconstruction work has faced with some obstacles in Afghanistan. Not, hopes have increased that the country would like to resume work in its stalled projects in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, officials for the Ministry of Economy of the Islamic Emirate Afghanistan (IEA) say India officials have assured of resumption of work in some stalled projects in Afghanistan.
“Based on previous contract, India had financially funded 577 development projects in Afghanistan, where some of the projects have not been completed yet and work on them has been stalled for the past 18 months,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesperson to the ministry of economy.
According to the MoE spokesperson, 70 percent of the Indian development projects are in remote areas of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. He said there have been construction projects of schools, hospitals, health clinics, student hostels, local institutes’ buildings, protective walls, roads, water supply networks and recreational parks and stadiums. In August 2022, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the IEA said India’s diplomatic presence in the country would result in the completion of “unfinished projects” that New Delhi had initiated and the commencement of new ones.
In early December 2022, the Ministry of Urban Development and Lands said that the Indian charges d’affaires, Bharat Kumar, expressed interest in the improvement of relations and the resumption of stalled projects in the country.
Kumar made the remarks during a meeting with the Minister of Urban Development and Lands, Hamdullah Nomani.
According to the ministry, it is expected that India will resume work on at least 20 projects in several provinces of the country.
Afghan economic experts believe that the resumption of Indian work in stalled projects in Afghanistan will result in the improvement of relations between the two countries.
“Launching various development projects in Afghanistan particularly the resumption of Indian reconstruction projects is key for the improvement of the country’s economy and creating employment for Afghanistan,” said Abdul Nasir Rishtia, an Afghan economic expert.
He said that Afghanistan economy depends to international assistance; therefore, the resumption of the Indian stalled projects in Afghanistan would provide job opportunities for the people.
Currently, New Delhi has been pitching for the providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country.
India extended humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and it has already dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000 metric tons of wheat, 13 tons of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and winter clothing. These consignments were handed over to the India Gandhi Children Hospital in Kabul and UN agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Program.
Furthermore, India has also shipped more medical assistance and food grains to Afghanistan.
Shukria Kohistani
India to resume work on stalled projects in Afghanistan
