To bolster the province’s forest cover, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has greenlit the initiation of the Billion Tree Plus project, emphasizing meticulous planning in this endeavor.
Chairing a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, CM Gandapur was joined by Provincial Minister for Forest Fazal Hakim, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Forest Nazar Hussain Shah, and other relevant officials. The session entailed a comprehensive overview of the department’s performance, targets, and administrative matters.
The CM directed the formulation of a robust strategy to augment revenue collection and curb forest depletion across the province. He underscored the need for substantial hikes in fines for illegal logging, exceeding the value of harvested timber to deter deforestation.
Furthermore, he mandated the installation of CCTV cameras at all forest check posts to combat timber smuggling and monitor illicit activities closely. Additionally, he urged the development of actionable proposals and an implementation plan to bolster the province’s fisheries sector.”
Meanwhile the Chief Minister presided over a meeting regarding Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway. He was briefed about the progress so far made on the project, total cost of the project and proposed alignment.
The Chief Minister has directed the concerned authorities to also consider the option of Build, Operate Transfer (BOT) mode for constructing Peshawar-DI Khan motorway, adding that all necessary steps should be ensured in this regard.
It was informed in a meeting that 365-km DI Khan motorway would have two tunnels and 19 interchanges benefitting a large number of population.
It was further informed that the project has also been discussed in the 8th meeting of Joint Working Group of CPEC and both the sides agreed that the project would be reconsidered in the next meeting of the Joint Working Group.
A day ago, Gandapur ordered immediate release of Rs3 billion for the procurement of armoured personnel carriers (APCs), arms and ammunition and other latest equipment to strengthen police force in the war on terrorism and thereby enabling them to effectively deal with prevailing law and order challenges in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2024.
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