RAWALPINDI, Dec 2: Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lt-Gen Salahuddin on Thursday defended the army bureaucracy's tight control over cantonments, saying it was necessary to maintain discipline in the organization.

He was talking to reporters after attending a function. In reply to a question as to why the Military Land and Cantonments Department had centralised all powers and the cantonments' civilian heads were not allowed to take even small decisions, he said cantonments worked according to a specific code of conducts. Amendments are also made in accordance with rules and regulations.

Difficulties may exist but control and discipline are necessary, he added. In response to another question regarding transfer of lower- grade staff, the corpse commander said transfers were important in order to improve the performance of employees.

Displacement and transfer from one place to another is part of a job, he observed. He said the process of approval for development projects and other works in the cantonment areas was carried out according to the cantonment rules and regulations.

On exempting the residents from paying property tax, Station Commander Brig Mohammad Javed said house tax was the main source of income for the civic bodies. Cantonments themselves generate their funds, so exemption is not possible, he said.

Earlier, speaking at the flower show, the corps commander highly appreciated the organisers. Flowers, he said, had close link with human lives and environment. Gen Salahuddin said environmental issues had become hot topics throughout the world, adding flowers had a big role in beautifying the environs.

He said the increasing industrialisation and influx of population to cities had necessitated that more attention was paid to keeping the environment clean and healthy. Flowers are the biggest gift of nature because they give natural touch to environment and make it beautiful, he said.

He stressed that everyone should play his role in keeping the surroundings clean. The general said the scope of such flower shows would be expanded to provide more recreational facilities to the residents. He asked the station commander to take necessary steps in this regard. He said parks would be established in Westridge and Chaklala to provide more recreational facilities to the residents.