May 02, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 25, 1429

KARACHI, May 1: At least four development schemes worth around Rs340 million of the Sindh forests department have failed to yield the desired results fuelling suspicion over misappropriation of funds on a massive scale, it has been learnt reliably.

The schemes are “Planting of salt-resistant tree species in the coastal zone of Sindh” (costing approximately Rs12 million), “Establishment of coconut and oil palm farms in the coastal zone of Sindh” (Rs148 million), “Rehabilitation and propagation of drought-affected coastal mangroves of the Thatta district” (costing around Rs184 million), and “Combating desertification and reforestation and reforestation of riverine forests of Sindh” (worth over Rs3.5 million).

Sources in the department said that upon receiving reports of embezzlement of funds in these schemes sponsored by the Sindh Coastal Development Authority (SCDA), initiated in the different districts of the province, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also initiated a probe into the matter.

They said that the auditor-general of Pakistan, in a report, had also expressed concern over the issue and had pointed out wrongdoings and irregular expenses of approximately Rs80 million.

Planting of salt-resistant trees

Regarding the scheme of planting of salt-resistant tree species, the conservator of forests, planning research, monitoring and evaluation, Hyderabad, in his report said: “The field observation and perusal of records reveal that the scheme is mostly failure. Whatever the very few seedlings, saplings and germinated seed is available it has also no future”.

“The scheme being ill-planned has been a failure and that there are remote chances to make the scheme successful.”

The report pointed out that previous attempts of planting trees in the specified areas have had failed mainly due to the presence of underground saline water and, therefore, planning for such schemes in these areas was a wastage of funds.

Specifically mentioning the condition of Hazari Forests, the report says, “The land could be best used for ‘physical exercise of animals”.

Another report prepared by an assistant director of the Sindh Coastal Development Authority (SCDA) said that paddy crop, under the cover of reclamation, was raised during the entire period of the project and the main aim of the scheme of planting salt-resistant trees was totally ignored and the success percentage of the scheme continued to be “zero.”

According to this report, an SCDA team that had visited the area was informed that over 329,500 container plants were raised; however, the team failed to find any tree plantation other than “Babool” or a nursery of the container plants. The SCDA had also asked the forests department whether any inquiry regarding the loss of over 329,500 container plants had been carried out or not, the report claimed.

Coconut and oil palm farms

Sources told Dawn that during a visit to the scheme in question, the then chief minister of Sindh, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, expressing concern over the poor maintenance of the oil palm plantation, had ordered an immediate suspension of the services of the DFO Thatta.

The auditor-general of Pakistan who carried out the performance audit of the scheme in his findings said, “There is a remote possibility of the envisaged project objectives being ever achieved. All the expenditures of Rs79.193 million incurred from 1994-95 to 2003-2004 seem to have been mostly unjustifiably charged through fake bills / vouchers,” and that “it has been observed that the expenditures of Rs35.083 million has been shown irregular and unjustified.”

The audit had also expressed concern over the spending of Rs10,000 per acre for site development and then giving the land on a lease for intercropping for Rs1,500 per acre.

Drought-affected coastal mangroves

The sources said that the Sindh Coastal Development Authority had, time and again, asked the forests department to provide the success percentage of the entire area – 8,000 hectares – with the help of maps, satellite imageries, and GPS so that ground verifications and monitoring etc could be carried out by the SCDA.

The information could also be used by the NAB, which had also instituted a fully-fledged inquiry, the SCDA said.

‘Combating desertification’

The conservator of forests along with the chief conservator visited the target areas in compartments 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 35 of Mad Nasri forest to verify the development works reported: “Visit of the areas revealed that the scheme is totally failure. The traces of some development could be seen only in hardly 10 to 15 per cent area. … The above position indicates that the scheme is a failure and all expenditures of more than Rs3.4 million charged are wasteful.”

High-level probe urged

The conservationists have urged the relevant authorities to institute a high-level probe into the matter preferably with the assistance from the international conservation NGOs – like the IUCN, WWF, etc – or technically qualified independent people, particularly those not working with the forest department, to get a clear and complete picture of the issue as to how the huge funding has been misappropriated.

Sources said that the condition of different forests such as Baoporandas, Bijora, Shah Lonko, Hilaya, Viran, Panhwar, Saeedpur, Pennah, Kathri, Miani, Vikri, etc was pathetic as ruthless logging had been carried out and the lands had been converted into banana and sugarcane fields, which were under the control of the cronies of the politicians. The bureaucrats, who had either looked the other way or were hands in glove with them while this widespread tree felling and looting of the natural resources was carried out, have reportedly established petrol pumps in Matiari and Thatta districts.