Stern action against wood thieves directed

Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Livestock, Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh has directed the high ups of the provincial forests department to take effective and stern action against the mafia involved in theft of woods. The minister observed that there should be a visible decrease in the theft of timber after amendments in the Forests Act, as punishment and fine for wood pilferage has increased after these amendments.
Aulakh gave these directives while presiding over a meeting of the Chief Conservators and Conservators of forest department, here on Thursday. The minister observed that the department could improve its image in the public by carrying out effective steps against stealing of woods. He urged the department to provide him details of all the wood pilferage cases, punishments and fines imposed in these cases during the last three years through out the province.
It was disclosed at the meeting that Rs 30 million are being provided to the department during next three years to increase number of nurseries in the province. It was also disclosed that 12 million saplings will be planted during the forthcoming monsoon tree plantation campaign, out of which four million will be planted on forests department land, 0.6 million on land of other department, 1.4 million in areas under army while six million plants will be sown on private area.
While reviewing the performance of farms of livestock department, the minister stressed the need for improvement in the performance of the department on emergent basis and also devising an effective monitoring system. Big wigs of the Punjab livestock department presented a detailed report about livestock farms and the Minister issued on the spot directions for removing the deficiencies in the performance of these farms.
Aulakh said that livestock is the most important sector after agriculture and the Punjab government realising it, is trying to mobilise all the resources to promote it. He said it is the duty of the officers to pay full attention for development of this sector. The Minister urged that attention should be paid to get a 50 maund per acre yield of wheat from farms under the livestock department. He stated that the department should also pay attention on sowing of rice or cotton on lands of livestock farms. The meeting was attended by Secretary Livestock Punjab Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, Additional Secretary Khalid Owais Ranjha, D. G Livestock (Extension) Dr Muhammad Irfan and other high ranking officers and managers of farms under the department.