Forest Minister orders fast track completion of road projects works

Chandigarh: Punjab Forests Minister S. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot has directed the department for timely completion of works related with ongoing road projects in state. The Minister issued directions while chairing meeting with senior department officers to review projects related with NHAI and PWD.
 
The Minister also directed the officers to bring a separate proposal for cutting and sale of trees for projects needing urgent felling. He also instructed for compilation of comparative cost of sale price of tress from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,  Rajasthan and Jammu Kashmir  besides finalising the base price of trees.
 
There are five NHAI projects underway in state which include Amritsar to Khemkaran, Ramsar to Dera Baba Nanak, Dera Baba Nanak to India-Pak border corridor, Talwandi Bhai to Ferozpur and Ludhiana - Talwandi Marg, the Minister added. Under these projects, out of total 23,682 trees 20,038 have been cut and remaining 3644 would be cut soon.
 
There are 8 ongoing PWD road rojects which include Patti to Khemkaran, Patti to TaranTaran, Bagha Purana to Mudki Jawahar Singh Wala, Moga to Makhu, Abohar to Dabwali, Harike to Khehra, Bhamiyal to Jamiyal and Ludhiana-Ferozpur Marg. He said that under these projects, our of total 21,244 trees 18,993 have been cut and remaining 4675 would be cut soon.
 
The meeting was attended by ACS Forest Ravneet Kaur, Special Secretary Forest Karnesh Sharma, PCCF Jatinder Sharma and MD Forest Copporation H S Grewal besides other senior officers of the department.