19 February 2004	Thursday	27 Zilhaj 1424

LAHORE, Feb 18: The Punjab government has allocated 53 per cent funds for the plantation of new trees and the rest for the protection of the existing ones in its forest policy for the 2003-4 fiscal.

Briefing the newsmen at the forest rest house in Changa Manga on Wednesday, forest department secretary Sajid Husain Chatha said the new policy was prepared keeping in view the use of land and water resources to achieve maximum timber and firewood production.

He said it would be made mandatory to raise at least 3,000 acres of new plantation each year with main focus to plant disease-resistant shisham. The department had increased plantation target up to 8,343 acres as compared to the last year's 5,042 acres. As many as 25 sites had been selected for plantation in the Punjab, he added.

To ensure the success of the new plantation, a block culture had been introduced and a block officer would responsible for timely completion of work, enumeration of the trees, casualty reports and upkeep of the record of the block.

The department would also involve the private sector for its forestry operations. The linear plantation along the roads would be part of the policy. Besides, the department would promote tree plantations on farmlands, associate schools, colleges and universities.

The secretary said that 15.2 million saplings in 98 nurseries in the province would be raised this year. The department would also restock existing blank areas by April and complete its survey by the end of this month.

The department would undertake reseeding and afforestation over 2,600 acres and pasture development over 4,000 acres in Cholistan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Pothohar.

The department had fixed a target of 20 million saplings for the spring 2004. Under the secured tree grower scheme, 14,000 farmers would be registered as secured tree growers.

The secretary admitted that the incidents of theft of timber had remained high in the past. To control this, the government had introduced heavy penalties and punishment.

A revenue target of Rs500 million had been set for this year. A separate parks and horticulture wing had been established in the department to provide quality recreation facilities in its major parks like Jullo, Changa Manga, Ravi, National, Lal Suhanra and Lehri Nature.