MUZAFFARABAD, Jun 13 (APP): Minister for Forest Muhammad Akmal Sargala on Thursday said Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government intends to initiate number of reforestation measures including green Pakistan program (GPP) and protection of forests to mitigate climate change effects.
Talking to a group of journalists, Sargala said that billion tree projects was successfully implemented in the region planting millions of tree at different forest enclosures throughout the three division of the region and the results will be witnessed within few years with the growth of newly planted trees.
“GPP will be 100 percent funded by the federal government while in other provinces, 50 percent funds would be provided by the provincial governments,” he disclosed adding that the initiative would be started during the new fiscal year.
He said the government was taking strict measures for the protection and conservation of forests besides growing new forests including enforcement of ban on cutting of trees in letter and spirit while measures have been taken to overcome the damages being caused by wild fire and other activities.
“The forest lands illegally occupied by groups and people in different areas had been cleared by the department and wood smuggling had been curtailed on a reasonable scale,” he claimed.
He said rising heat was one of the causes of wild fire however, in some areas, miscreants were involved in fire incidents and a number of criminal cases had been registered against them.
He disclosed that 875 acre forests had been affected by the wild fire in the Mirpur division however, he informed that fire was successfully controlled by the help of local people. “The department is allocating funds in the coming fiscal year budget for the purchase of firefighting equipment including protective uniforms for the staff,” he added to a question.
Sargala also hinted to ban illegal wood industry and claimed that timber mafia had been eliminated from the region after Prime Minister Anwar Ul Haq took over the affairs of the government and was taking strict measures to implement rules and regulations.
He said Prime Minister Haq was enjoying full confidence of his cabinet coalition partners in the government for his strict measures to enforce rules and regulations in the functioning of the government and ensuring merit besides strict financial discipline through austerity measures and expressed optimism that his government will complete its constitutional tenure successfully.
Ruling out the possibility of a no confidence move against Prime Minister Haq, he said that some elements had been spreading disinformation on social media against the government since its inception but all were rumors by the mafias that had been taken into account by the good governance initiatives and enforcement of the rule of law.
He said the earlier the government in the region was being run by the traditional way while Haq was running his government in accordance with Law and constitution which was affecting some peoples illegal benefits that were spreading the rumors of government change.
He said Prime Minister Haq had won the confidence of the Federal government as well who was fully cooperating with his government for the betterment of the people of the region.
The minister expressed his optimism that the positive change will be felt soon in the region in consequences of the measures taken by the government and people will feel easement in their lives.
He said the prime minister had moved the resources towards welfare of the people cutting down the luxury expenditure of the government and established an endowment fund with an initial cost of Rs. 10 billion for the welfare of widows, divorces, orphans, transgender and other needy people to be looked after by the government.
He said another fund with the cost of Rs. 4 billion had been established to empower the youth by providing them skills and earning opportunities through small businesses while the development fund had been increased by cutting down the unnecessary government expenditures.