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| May 17, 2005 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 8, 1426 |
Probe into selling of Rs40m trees
SARGODHA, May 16: Punjab forest secretary has ordered a probe into the alleged illegal selling of Sheesham trees worth Rs40 million cut during the expansion of Khushab-Sargodha road by officials of the department. The secretary has deputed chief conservator to conduct the probe on the complaint made by Sargodha forest conservator about the alleged irregularity.
The conservator had complained that about half century old Sheesham trees were uprooted during the road expansion and were allegedly sold to various furniture manufacturers without meeting legal requirements.
The officials concerned, including sub-divisional and divisional forest officers, have been directed to provide the relevant record within 72 hours, otherwise a criminal case will be registered against them for removal of official record.
It is learnt that earlier a similar case was registered against some officials of the forest department for their alleged involvement in allowing some timber merchants to remove old Sheesham trees worth about Rs100 million from the Sabzazaar locality.
PROBE: Punjab Food Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal has ordered a probe into the alleged corruption in wheat procurement at Chak Joda purchase centre and deputed Gujranwala Food Director Rana Liaqat Ali to submit report.
The minister was presiding over a meeting held here on Monday to review wheat procurement in the region. He was apprised by the officials concerned that this year the procurement target for the four districts in the region was 340,000 metric ton, out of which, 94,311 metric ton wheat had been procured so far.
Expressing concern over the slow procurement process, he directed the officials to accelerate its pace which should not be less than 60 per cent by now.
The purchase be ensured at the fixed rate of Rs400 per 40 kgs, Mr Iqbal said, warning that no complaint in this regard if made by the farmers would be tolerated.
LAWYER’S COMPLAINT: A local lawyer has alleged that the DHQ hospital medical superintendent not only refused to treat him free of cost, as ordered by the government, but also misbehaved with him. Advocate Javed Iqbal levelled these allegations against MS Capt Dr Siddique Khokhar through a complaint filed before the district and sessions judge on Monday. He alleged that the MS refused to honour Punjab health secretary’s orders allowing free treatment and medicines to the lawyers, and called lawyers ‘blackmailers’.
The sessions judge has summoned the medical superintendent on May 19 to explain his position. Meanwhile, the District Bar Association, taking notice of the incident, has called a meeting to review the situation.
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