Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 20: Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology Mian Altaf on Saturday directed the forest authorities to ensure liberal and timely supply of timber on priority to the flood affected victims particularly in far-off areas of Jammu division whose houses have been damaged completely or partially due to recent flash floods.
The Minister said this while chairing a high level meeting of senior officers of Forest Department here this morning.
The meeting was attended by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, A.K. Singh, Chief Conservator of Forest, Roshan Jaggi, Divisional Forest Officers of Jammu province besides other concerned.
The Minister issued specific instructions to the concerned DFOs to prepare a roadmap and ensure that the timber would be provided to flood affected people within a week’s time on concessional rates so that they can start construction/repair work of their damaged houses and also ensure routine timber supply to the consumers. He said that priority would be given to inaccessible areas where besides residential houses, other belongings of Forest Department like bridges and single connectivity means were damaged.
The Minister said that funds for restoration works would be released by the district administration after proper verification/ assessment of loss and asked the forest functionaries to provide the same to the flood affected people without any further verification to facilitate their constructions.
The Minister also took stock of damage to the infrastructure under forest sector which include foot bridges, forest paths, plantation, fire wood, nurseries, RFT, DRSM etc and directed the concerned officers to start repair work on war footing, adding that the Forest Department has been put on high alert to cope up with the post flood situation in the State.
Follow our WhatsApp channel