Punjab government has constituted special checking teams, which would be making surprise visits to various districts to check the pilferage of woods from the forests.
The Punjab Minister for Forests, Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh has also taken a strong exception to the incidents of pilferage of government woods from the forests and directed an immediate action against the elements involved in these incidents, besides the officers and employees of the provincial forest department patronising such elements.
He issued these directives while chairing a high level meeting at the office of the Punjab Forests department here Tuesday, which was convened to review the performance of the department and steps for preservations of the forests. The minister said that in future stern actin would be taken against higher officers instead of lower officials and this action would be suspension from the services, forced retirement and registration of cases against those involved in incidents of pilferage of woods.
He asked that officers having good repute and Secretary Forests should personally keep an eye on forests in the province. Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh said that trees and forests are an important tool to control environment pollution and they should be preserved. He called upon the officers and field staff to be vigilant and perform their duties instead of sitting in the offices. He said that he would not tolerate any negligence in the future.
The meeting also reviewed the afforestation campaign in monsoon and a monitoring committee was constituted which would review whether the plants sown during this campaign were taken good care of or not. It would also devise a solid strategy for next campaign.
The minister said that the last campaign could not meet its target and the officers and employees of the department should realise their duties and run a powerful campaign to make the country self-reliant in fuel wood and wood used for construction and other purposes. He also called for involving the masses especially students in tree plantation campaigns to ensure plantation on larger scale. He said that the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif, was paying special attention on tree plantation on government land in the province.