‘Crack down on timber mafia’

CM orders authority concerned to take action against deforestation

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the Forest Department to crack down on the timber mafia involved in the illegal cutting of forests across the province.

“The concerned authority must take effective action against illegal deforestation in some parts of the province,” he said while presiding over a cabinet meeting at the CM House on Monday.

The provincial chief executive also ordered a crackdown against illegal mining activities and requested the Minerals and Mining Department to prevent it at all costs. “Stern action must be taken for curbing the illegal extraction of sand and gravel from the rivers in Swat before submitting a report.”

While looking into matters related to to the Revenue Department, Mahmood directed issuance of Fard to the applicants within two days otherwise stern action would be taken against the concerned patwaris. He directed the revenue department officials to bring necessary amendments in the rules for transfer of patwaris at divisional level so that inter-district transfers could be made within a division.

All the government departments were asked to ensure approval of all the projects included in the Annual Development Program (ADP) up to December 31, 2020.

After being brief about the recent cold wave, CM Mahmood directed the concerned authorities to construct sheds for laborers who had established their small stalls on the footpaths to earn a living. He asked the Social Welfare Department to make all the cold weather shelters in the province fully functional in view of the recent cold spell. “The best arrangements and facilities should be provided to the needy including healthy food.”

Further on in the meeting, the Industries Department was asked to complete the preparations for the inauguration of two to three new Special Economic Zones in the month of January and expedite the work on providing electricity to the local industries at affordable rates.

Preparation of an action plan to relocate the established marble factories on Warsak Road, in Peshawar was also requested.

SACM briefs media

Later, briefing the media about the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information Kamran Bangash relayed that the cabinet had given conditional approval to the revised Industrial Policy 2020 under which various measures have been proposed for industrial development in the province.

“Prominent features of the policy include provision of various incentives to investors for promotion of domestic and foreign investment, linkages with industries, provision of facilities to industrialists under one-window operation for small and medium enterprises,” he said.

Bangash also informed the media that the government conditionally approved amendments to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Arms Rules 2014, aimed at ensuring implementation of SOPs for shooting / gun clubs.

Similarly, the cabinet also approved the K-P Sentencing Bill 2020 under which minimum and maximum punishments have been proposed to facilitate the judiciary.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2020.