PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Local farmers and shop owners waited together in a room at the Panjshir Provincial Center in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, March 25, to be compensated for the loss of their shops, land, and in some cases, homes due to a new road construction going through the valley.
District government officials and contractors allotted payments of $890 to each family that was displaced by the development of the road through the Panjshir Valley.
Before the road was paved, travel between the districts was a long, grueling process. "It was dusty and muddy, not like it is now," said local Panjshiri Pay Ande, speaking through an interpreter. "It would take six hours to travel. Now it takes 40 minutes," Ande said.
During the course of construction, some villagers and shopkeepers needed to be relocated. The widening of the narrow road forced the Panjshir government to use an eminent domain policy to sequester land and issue payments.
According to Scott Davis, Omaha, Neb., native and construction representative, Army Corps of Engineers, the fact that fair market value is being paid out is a new concept in the province and country.
"People have just [came] in, regimes or dictators or whatever the case may be, and [just took] what they [wanted]. They weren't compensated before," said Davis.
Davis is deployed with Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir. The PRT has worked with local government to support reconstruction projects in the area. "So, this is the first government that actually compensated them," said Davis.
Article 40 of the Afghan constitution, enacted in 2004, allows for eminent domain, stating," Acquisition of a person's property, in return for a prior and just compensation within the bounds of law, is permitted only for securing public interests in accordance with the provisions of law."
Mohammed Abdullah waited alongside others for their name to be called. Abdullah said he lost his shop where he sold clothing and food due to the road improvements. He is planning on rebuilding with his compensation money.
"The amount of money they are providing for me, it is exactly the same that I lost," said Abdullah speaking through an interpreter. "I will rebuild another shop and continue my business if there is enough room. Otherwise I will relocate my shop," Abdullah said.
It might be economically advantageous for Abdullah to rebuild in the same location. According to Abdullah, the newly constructed road should help bring in more customers from more places to help support the business.
As their names were called, the Panjshiris came into the room where payments were processed through Younis, Paryan District executive, Amin Daqia, Provincial executive director and a contractor representative responsible for large parts of the road construction. On hand to monitor the cash payout was U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Curtis Velasquez, PRT commander, and provincial council member, Mawlawi Abdul Karim, who serves as an elected official to act as a liaison between appointed district governors and the people they represent.
One of the recipients of the compensation payment was a boy of around 12, who was missing an arm. Being the eldest of four brothers and three sisters, he had taken over as head of the house, since his father had died. His family had owned a small shop that sold vegetables and crops that was demolished to make room for the road.
The boy seemed on the verge of tears when asked for his identification paperwork. But then, councilmember Karim and the others vouched for him and let him signed for his father.
The boy left with other members of his village carrying $890 in cash. Interpreter Amiri Farid said that the boy's community would take care of him.
Velasquez said that that the payments "spoke volumes" about the amount of progress made in governance in Afghanistan.
Eminent domain payments are a huge step of progress that means "The government is now able take care of its people," said Velasquez.