GPP employees’ fate hangs in balance

Govt has not yet decided whether to continue the project

LAHORE:

The fate of hundreds of employees of Punjab’s forestry and wildlife departments hangs in the balance as the federal government has not yet decided whether to continue the Green Pakistan Programme (GPP).

The GPP is a federal government project executed by the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with provincial departments of forestry and wildlife.

The 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme is also part of the GPP, with funding for this project split equally between the federal and provincial governments.

The programme aims to protect and expand the country’s forests and wildlife. In this regard, both provincial departments have launched various projects. To support these projects, the Department of Forestry and Punjab Wildlife hired employees on a contract basis.

The programme was initially set to end on June 30, 2023. However, last year, the PML-N led federal government extended it by one year—until June 30, 2024. Concerns are now being raised about its possible discontinuation.

Mudasser Hasan, the GPP-Wildlife Punjab project director, has written a letter to wildlife assistant directors in Punjab, asking them to inform all the staff working under them about the current status of the project.

“It is also pertinent to mention that this office would not be in a position to release salaries of staff with effect from July 1, 2024 until any final decision,” he stated.

The letter said no notification regarding an extension beyond June 30, 2024, had been received from any relevant authority. “However, the project is subject to revision for the FY 2024-2028, for which a Revised PC-I is under preparation and meetings with the Planning Commission are underway.”

It also noted that the continuation of staff and activities of the project for the next fiscal year was raised before the GPP national project director, but no clear response has been received so far.