Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Choudhary Lal Singh paid a surprise visit to the Grazing Forest Check Post at Lakhanpur and Haria Check Nursery in Hiranagar in the wee hours today and checked the attendance of the employees of Forest Protection Force (FPF) on the night shift.Joint Director FPF, Kh. Qamar-ud-Din and Divisional Forest Officers of Samba and Kathua districts accompanied the Minister.During the visit, the Minister asked the concerned officers and staff to keep a strict vigil to curb timber smuggling and illegal transportation of livestock in the state .He also stressed on ensuring time bound action in cases of seized timber and livestock under the norms of the Forest and its allied wings.The Minister later reviewed stock and supply position of timber besides the physical and financial achievements of the different wings of forest department at Lakhanpur. He directed the officers of Forest department to carry out plantation drive on degraded forest areas and take adequate measures to carry out soil conservation works where it is necessary .
He also asked for expediting cutting, pruning and auctioning of popular trees in the areas.The Minister said that Government is making all out efforts for the preservation and protection of forest wealth of J&K State. He emphasized on massive a-forestation and directed the officers to take anticipatory measure and plant the saplings on open chunk of forest land in order to check encroachments.Choudhary Lal Singh asked the officers to be proactive and intensify field visits and closely monitor the activities launched by the department to achieve tangible results on ground and directed officers to use the funds judiciously sanctioned under CAMPA.The Minister said that Lakhanpur is gateway to J&K and it is the duty of Forest Department as well as the residents to keep the area clean and green by planting more trees. He appealed the people to actively participate in the afforestation drives and strengthen the initiatives of the department underway to preserve the environment and improve the green cover in the state .He stressed on actively involving the stakeholders to restore ponds in Kandi and far off places to increase the underground water level.Highlighting the steps to tap the ecotourism potential of area around Ranjit Sagar Dam, Minister said that the Government is developing infrastructure and other requisite facilities to attract tourists and provide employment avenues in this sector.