Green Pakistan Programme to revive forest, wildlife
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ISLAMABAD: (APP) The Ministry of Climate Change Wednesday expressed confidence that the Green Pakistan Programme (GPP) would help revive the country's fast depleting forest and wildlife resources.
Green Pakistan Programme to plant 14.2 million trees
"The GPP will be implemented with the support of all provinces and federating units to increase forestry cover and preserve vanishing wildlife," official sources in the Ministry told APP.
They informed that the government had allocated Rs 2 billion in the current financial year for the Green Pakistan Programme, approved by the Prime Minister on May 26, 2016.
The sources said 50 percent financial share of provincial governments was a pre-requisite to execute the project across the country.
Green Pakistan Programme to be intensified by Ministry of Climate Change
They ministry, they said, had already written anticipatory letters to the Chief Ministers of the provinces and Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir requesting to prepare PC-Is and provision of equal financial share for the programme.
Following which, the Secretary Climate Change sensitized Provincial Planning and Development Departments to ensure funding for the programme.
Besides, an interprovincial coordination consultative meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister Climate Change to expedite the response from the provincial governments.
All provincial projects were got approved from the respective development forums during July and August, 2016. "Finally the umbrella PC-I scheme was processed to the Planning Commission for approval from CDWP in September, 2016," they said.
The sources said all provincial governments had contributed towards the Green Pakistan Project that was recommended by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for further processing and approval from Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).
Green Pakistan Programme initiated with Rs. 2 billions
They said forestry is a seasonal activity, so the federal and provincial governments utilized the dormant winter season to complete the procedural matters to formally launch a national level programme
"It is expected that after the approval of project by ECNEC in January, 2017 utmost efforts shall be undertaken to utilize the upcoming spring season to achieve the project objectives.
All development projects require a planning and development phase that is not too different from that of the GPP," the sources maintained.
