A project designed to pave the road connecting Kirkuk’s Zab sub-district with the Sidr village, which is the last point in the area bordering Kirkuk with Salahaddin province was scheduled for completion by the end of this year has been delayed indefinitely.
‘The reason behind the setback is that the acting governor of Kirkuk canceled the project claiming that it is unnecessary, although the road connects two provinces ,“ said, an engineer supervising the project which is funded by the Reconstruction Fund for Areas Affected by Terrorist Operations (REFAATO).
Ayad Saeed, head of Zab municipal council, speaking to KirkukNow, said “the project was included in the 2019 budget plan, and it was supposed to be completed this summer; however it faced a setback for unknown reasons.”
Ayad Saeed stressed that it “the governor’s office does not have the authority to cancel any projects,” adding that if the project did not end by the end of this year “it we have been robbed, and that is a disaster.”
The head of the Zab municipal council complained that “since 2014 it has been unclear what becomes of the funding allocated for the sub-district,” indicating that the municipal council “depends on its own limited capabilities to serve the residents.”
He said road construction project is supposed to be undertaken by the Kirkuk Directorate of Roads and Bridges.
Idris Ali, 28, a resident of Subaih village through which the Sidr road passes said that “since 1985, the road between the Zab and Sidr village has not been completed, although it is a significant road which connects Kirkuk and Salahaddin provinces.”
Meanwhile, Nifoos Hamad, a resident of the Zab area is in poor condition, giving tough time to the drivers and causing accidents.
“I use this road frequently; therefore I ask the Kirkuk local administration to speed up the implementation of this project,” he said.
