Shafaq News- Ilam

A senior Iranian official on Wednesday acknowledged severe development shortfalls in Iran’s western Kurdish province of Ilam, saying the region’s cultural budget is “effectively zero” and warning of long-standing structural neglect.

According to a report by Iran’s Fars News Agency, Allah Nour Karimi Tabar, the Supreme Leader’s representative in Ilam, made the remarks during a meeting of Friday prayer leaders attended by officials from Tehran. He said the province has faced persistent deprivation for more than 16 years, placing it significantly behind Iran’s central provinces in development indicators.

Karimi Tabar noted that Ilam, which served as a frontline province during the Iran–Iraq war (1980–1988), has not experienced reconstruction efforts commensurate with the scale of wartime damage, contributing to its continued underdevelopment.

Despite Ilam’s substantial oil and gas reserves, the report highlighted a disparity between resource extraction and local development outcomes. Karimi Tabar said residents have seen little benefit from energy investments in the province and called on oil and petrochemical companies to fulfill their social and economic responsibilities toward the local population.

The report said revenues related to environmental impact and financial returns generated by these companies are not allocated to Ilam in the same manner as in other industrial provinces, limiting the province’s ability to address development needs.

It outlined persistent gaps in infrastructure, including the absence of major highways and railway links, as well as irregular flight operations at Ilam Martyrs Airport, which officials say has discouraged investment. The report also said Ilam’s municipal administration is facing financial difficulties, including delays in paying employee salaries, contributing to reduced public services and urban maintenance challenges. According to the report, religious scholars and seminary students in parts of the province, including Badra, are also affected by economic hardship, lacking adequate transportation and housing.

Karimi Tabar warned that limited resources for cultural and social institutions leave the province exposed amid broader political and social pressures facing the country. His comments align with assessments by rights groups and Kurdish organizations that have long cited systemic neglect of border provinces, particularly those with Kurdish Fayli majorities.

Local figures in Ilam have called for moving beyond policy commitments toward sustainable, productive investments that generate long-term employment and income, arguing that continued reliance on minimal budget allocations has failed to address rising poverty and unemployment in Ilam, Kermanshah, and neighboring regions.