November 08, 2007	Thursday	Shawwal 26, 1428

SWABI, Nov 7: Timber contractors’ collusion caused the cancellation of auction of about 1,000 dried out trees in the Tarbela Dam residential colonies in Swabi district on Wednesday after they offered no more than Rs2 million for the whole lot.

Wapda employees have been living in the Right Bank Colony and the River View Colony since 1977 after the construction of the Tarbela dam. Sources told this correspondent that timber contractors had decided the final price for the tree lot, offering only a fixed price and later sharing the profit among themselves.

Virus-dried Rosewood (Sheesham) trees and other dried trees were included in the auction. The sources said that no green tree or immature tree was included in the auction, but trees damaging buildings were included. The sources said that a number of tress had dried out in the Tarbela Dam Right Bank Colony, River View Colony and Tapu Colony and it was decided to move for the auction of the trees.

It was learnt that the auction would be held at another date.

The Tarbela authorities were expecting to raise about Rs4 million through the action.

One of the contractors said that the strategy was not a new one and they had colluded on numerous occasions, producing “really good results”. The contractors were united and they worked in accordance with an agreed upon formula, he said.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have stressed the need for a new plan in view of the upcoming plantation season. They said that more plants should be planted to overcome the loss of dead trees.

Haripur district has a Landscaping and Arboriculture Department of Tarbela Dam but there is no such department in Swabi district, the sources said. However, insiders said that for maintaining the beauty and greenery of the residential colonies and Tarbela dam there were a dire need for more plantation in the upcoming plantation season.