[RPC Deadline] Government allows transportation of wood out of Diamer District
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Asim Iqbal
Gilgit, December 24: The Government of Gilgit Baltistan has decided to lift the ban on transportation of firewood. A ‘summary’ prepared in this regard has, reportedly, been sent to the GB Cabinet for approval.
This was stated by CM’s Advisor for Forest, MLA Aftab Haider, while talking to Haji Amin, chairman of Rights Protection Committee, Diamer.
Aftab said that accepting the long standing demand of the people, a draft document of the wood lease policy has been prepared and the cabinet is likely to approve it soon.
“The chopped wood that is laying in forests can be taken to the other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Pakistan”, he told.
It is pertinent to mention that the Diamer “Rights Protection Committee”, setting 25 December as deadline for accepting of their demands, had warned the govt of serious consequences.
The “firewood” in the forests is very different from the wood in the caption picture. Can anyone shed light on the matter? The wood one sees on the KKH and in the spur valleys is not firewood … so what has the government allowed? Firewood or the illegal wood that was banned.
The lots of wood lying by the KKH should be sold via a commercial sale (competitive) and the funds should be distributed throughout GB to develop small projects that are given to communities to run. THis would benefit the people GB and make sure that the timber does not fall into the hands of the timber mafia or other unscrupulous elements.
Lets see the real people of GB benefit .. enough of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer!