BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has chargesheeted 16 officials of the Forest Department for negligence in discharge of their duty during their posting at the Lal Sohanra National Park and departmental inquiries were launched against them.

Dawn learnt the officials, including two former conservators of forests, two district forest officers (DFOs) and 12 other supervisory officials of different cadres, were posted at the national park.

During their tenure in the national park, the officials’ duty included promotion of wildlife, particularly breeding of deer, including Chinkara, and black buck.

However, the population of Chinkara and black duck in their enclosures decreased due to the frequent incidents of theft and illegal hunting. When the FIRs were lodged with police, the officials were also charged for their failure to pursue the cases, resulting in authorities’ failure to arrest the culprits or recover the stolen deer.

The poor performance of officials was exposed about six months back when newly appointed officials pointed out that over 372 Chinkara deer were short in one of the enclosures at the park.

This was a wake-up call for the forest department, which formed a committee, headed by the conservator of forests, Bahawalpur division Liaquat Suleri.

The committee numbered the present population of Chinkara deer and submitted its report.

Cases, inquiries against 16 forest dept officials

The committee chief also recommended a number of precautionary measures, including increase in the supervisory staff, transport and arms for them to control the theft and illegal hunting of deer from the wildlife park.

Liaquat Suleri confirmed to Dawn that after chargesheeting the officials the committee, headed by Director Forests Ijaz Ibrahim, was presently holding an inquiry against them.

The committee would recommend the punishment to be awarded to the officials if found guilty.

Mr Suleri said that on his recommendations, more security measures around the deer enclosures had been taken and the government had provided funds for the appointment of six security guards and purchase of arms to nab the thieves of deer from the park.

He claimed that due to strict measures in the park, 48 fawns of the deer were growing well in a short span of few months while the breeding was in progress.

Celebrations

The month-long Jashn-i-Pakistan festivities organised in government schools with the coordination of the district government and the Directorate of Education concluded here on Friday.

During the concluding ceremony held at government S.D. High School, MPA Fauzia Ayub Qureshi and EDO (Education) Ch Muhammad Bashir gave away prizes among the students.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014