Sindh government will earn around Rs 75 million as revenue from forests selling timber removed from the forests and other related services, Business Recorder learnt here on Friday. Sources in Sindh Finance Department said that a big chunk of this amount--Rs 27.256 million--would come from lease rent on the land provided to different firms and individuals for temporary cultivation.
About Rs 19.280 million would be received by selling timber and other forest products. Similarly, Rs 10.574 million would be received on account of selling firewood and charcoal.
Besides, Rs 3.59 million would come from timber and other produce removed from the forest to consumer or purchasers for planting stump seed Mazri and palm grass other than fodder. Around Rs 0.7 million would be collected from government agencies to let them allow removing timber, and Rs 0.570 million would come on account of timber consumption as charcoal.
They said Rs 0.25 million would be received by selling timber for brushwood, chips and stumps, Rs 0.297 million by selling timber for purpose of grazing and fodder grass. Over half of million rupees would be received as revenue from the forests, which are not managed by the government. Around 0.404 million would be received on account of fines and forfeitures besides Rs 6.180 million as compensation under Forest Act including fines by courts.
Sources said that other revenue targets were Rs 0.005 million as recovery of water rate, Rs 0.915 million as rent of buildings, shops lands and water mills, Rs 0.030 million as services charges and Rs 3.319 million as miscellaneous receipts.
According to officials, there would no collection on account of receipts under Wild Birds and Wild Animals Protection Act as compared to Rs 0.015 million collected during fiscal year 2006-07. It may be pointed out that thousands of acres forestland in the province has been grabbed by land mafia. Recently, National Accountability Bureau has launched an operation against grabbing of forestland in which over 6,000 acres land was got evacuated from land mafia.