Illegal occupation: officials directed to evacuate forest land

Sindh Minister for Forest Syed Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi has directed the officers of Forest Department to identify and evacuate the land under illegal occupation otherwise action will be taken against them.
Presiding over meeting of the officers of Forest Department, Shah said that many influential people and land grabbers had illegally occupied the forest land and also some elements were actively involved in cutting of the trees in forest for their illegal business.
He said that this was heinous crime and must be prevented and action should be taken against them. He said that the forests of our province were not only maintaining the environmental atmosphere but were the habitat of animals and birds. Besides it played vital role in strengthening the embankments of the river and any damage to forest would pose threat to above objects. He said that the forests were also source of by-products and were being considered national wealth.
The minister also got information about the pace of work on going development schemes of the Forest Department and directed the officers to complete the same by the end of June, 2012 without compromising of quality of work. He also directed the officers to strictly implement the rules of Provincial Forest Department and strict action in case of any violation. The meeting was attended by Provincial Secretary Forest Mushtaque Memon, Chief Conservator Forest Mir Nadir Ali Talpur and other officers from his department who briefed the meeting about their performances.