MUZAFFARGARH, June 9: The Punjab Forest Department will begin a farmer-Forest Department partnership programme under which the department will grow plants on private lands.

This was said by Minister of Forest Dr Ashfaqur Rehman during a Meet-the-Press at the Canal Rest House, Tulheeri Canal Colony, Muzaffargarh.

He said the programme would be launched in south Punjab only and under the project, the department would acquire lands from farmers for 15 years. The department will level the land, arrange irrigation water and grow plants on it. Later, plants will be given to the land owners.

He said if the land owner cut trees before 15 years, he would have to plant trees on the land again.

He said the department on the directives of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi would complete the Green Punjab Project for Rs4 billion. He said the amount would be spent on plantation along roads, canals, watercourses and on the farmer-Forest Department partnership programme.

He said Rs40 million would be spent on plantation at the Taunsa Barrage where 1,400 acres had been allocated for plantation. He said the Punjab government had started 35 plantation schemes in south Punjab with the help of the Asian Development Bank.

He said there were 50 million acres in Punjab where plantation could be done and for this purpose 42 schemes of plantation had been launched.

He said the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, and Islamia University, Bahawalpur, were doing research on Shisham imported from Nepal. He said the imported variety of Shisham had longer life span.

Regarding complaints of corruption and timber theft in Muzaffargarh, he said that District Forest Officer Atifullah Niazi had been sent to jail and court would decide his case. Two weeks ago, Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested him after his pre-arrest bail was cancelled by a special judge.

The accused is facing timber theft charges. The accused earlier got vacated 4,200 acres of Forest land in Essanwala and Bait Sohni from influential people.

The accused, however, did not send cases against the land grabbers under the Forest Act and after receiving bribe again gave back the land to the influential people. The minister said that the department would be purged from corruption.