RAWALPINDI, June 26: The District Mushawarat Committee (DMC) has demanded of the provincial government to devolve the forest department to the district government so that it can be effectively managed.

The DMC, officials said, decided to make this demand after receiving complaints of corruption and mismanagement in the department. The officials said the devolution had been necessitated to protect the forests.

This was decided in a meeting which was presided over by District Naib Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas and attended by all Tehsil Nazims of Rawalpindi district.

It also demanded of the provincial government to re-start Guzara allowance of the local communities of the forest areas and carry out development projects in these areas.

Taking note of the complaints about poor quality of work in the road re-surfacing projects, the meeting decided that the district Naib Nazim and the district coordination officer would pay a surprise visit and inspect the projects. They will also take action against the officials found guilty of carrying out substandard work.

It decided that all such complaints of poor quality work in road projects should be referred to the works and services department.

Reacting to the complaint of the Tehsil administrations regarding shortage of staff, the meeting directed the district government to meet the deficiency by adjusting its surplus staff against the existing vacancies.

In order to make the platform of the DMC further effective, it was decided that the Tehsil administrations would communicate all complaints to the District Mushawarat Committee by the 15th of every month which would find a solution to them.