. Chitotela

By HELLEN TEMBO –
THE Government has released more than K200 million for the construction of the Kalomo-Dudumwezi-Namwala-Itezhi-Tezhi Road in Southern Province.
Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Ronald Chitotela said the Government had released the money, amounting to K220 million, to upgrade roads in Southern Province.
Mr Chtotela said the construction of roads would start within 30 days and that contractors had a mandate to maintain the roads for four years.
The minister said this yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Kalomo District Commissioner Cosmas Chiiba in Kalomo.
“President Edgar Lungu’s plan is to take development to all the 10 provinces. We have to stand together as one, and work together to develop our nation,” Mr Chitotela said.
He said the Government had paid K27 million to the contractors to start all projects in Southern Province.
Mr Chitotela said it was sad that some contractors did not want to tell the truth that they had been paid.
He said the Government was only remaining with a K60million balance to pay contractors countrywide.
The minister was accompanied by his Permanent Secretary Charles Mushota and Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale.
Dudumwezi area Member of Parliament Edgar Singombe said his area faced a lot of challenges, one of which was a poor road network, and appealed to the Government to tar the roads.
Mr Sing’ombe said there was also need for the installation of mobile network towers so that it could be easier for people in the area to communicate.
“The other thing that we want in Dudumwezi is connectivity of Zesco. Every rainy season the bridges get washed away by the rains, so we want the Government to help in this area also,” he said.
Kalomo council secretary Coy Makaya said people in the constituency appreciated the good services that were rendered to the area and appealed to the Government to rehabilitate town centre roads.