By Scoop Reporter
THE Luanshya Municipal Council has flagged off the rehabilitation of feeder roads in the district.
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda has today told The Scoop the rehabilitation of roads has commenced and that this is done to open up the road network in the district in the wake of an anticipated good harvest.
Mr. Chanda says this will enable farmers to move their farm produce to the market with much ease thereby reducing transitory time and enhance efficiency.
He has thanked President Edgar Lungu for considering Luanshya among districts that must benefit from a good road network especially in rural areas, saying he is indebted to the Head of State for the gesture as this will roll out development to the remoted parts of the country.
“The PF has talked much on diversification which is part of the 7NDP. We talk of mining, but we now want to move to farming. During this period when Luanshya, Copperbelt, and Zambia at large will have a bumper harvest, we thought it wise as a local authority to open up roads.
“The famers and transporters had complained of the bad state of roads and this is why we are opening up the roads to have easy access to the market. We just want to thank His Excellency President Edgar Lungu for the development in Luanshya and Roan in particular because with PF, we don’t mind how people voted,” Mr. Chanda said.
He says when the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) talks about development, it does not attach politics but looks at the plight of the ordinary people in society such as peasant farmers who are desperate to take their produce to the market at a minimal cost induced by a good road network.
He has encouraged the farmers to continue working hard and produce more.
“Here, there is no politics. It is development for the people of Luanshya and Roan in particular. This is a promise we gave the people of Luanshya. Even me, as Mayor, I promised and we are here to deliver on the promise.
“I want to encourage our farmers to continue working hard. Produce more and please don’t sell to briefcase buyers. Wait for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to announce the floor price,” he said.
He has also assured residents that Central Business District roads will be done as the local authority has started the process of mobilising funds amounting to K 5 million with half of it sourced locally.
“Let me also assure the people of Luanshya that the roads in the Central Business District will be done, with the support of the National Roads Funds Agency (NRFA) and the Road Development Agency (RDA),” he said.
