PESHAWAR, Aug 18: Chief Minister Akram Durrani directed the heads of provincial departments to prepare a comprehensive report for the restructuring of government employees' service structure, said a handout issued here.

Speaking at a gathering to mark the monsoon tree plantation campaign here, the chief minister said, the MMA government has announced various packages for government employees.

He remarked that it was unfortunate that the Frontier province had been producing the bulk of the hydel power and offers tremendous potential but was still deprived of its due share in the federal resources.

About official policy to develop forests, Durrani said the present government has taken a number of steps for development of forests which included compensation for forests department employees in case of their deaths or injuries while performing duties, extension of Forests Act to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and provision of motorboats to control smuggling of timber through Tarbala Lake. New service structure for forests department officials has also been directed, he informed.

He remarked that for development of agriculture sector, the present government had planned to construct 20 small dams, which would irrigate millions of acres of barren land in southern districts.

These dams will cost Rs20 billion, he said and added we are ready to give a written assurance to the federal government that the NWFP will become self-sufficient in food stuff if Rs40 billion were provided to the province.

Earlier, the chief minister formally opened the monsoon plantation campaign by planting a sapling. The chief minister was informed that this year 7.8 million saplings will be planted in the provinces and ulema, students, teachers and nazims would be involved to ensure maximum number of trees planted. -PPI