PESHAWAR, Feb 17: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa environment minister Wajid Ali Khan on Friday said 32,450 people had been booked in the province over the last five years for illegally cutting trees.

In reply to a query of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl member Mufti Kifayatullah, the environment minister told the provincial assembly that the forest department had fined 24,748 people for involving in cutting of trees.

Speaker Kiramatullah Chagharmatti chaired the session.

The minister said after the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment, the government had formed a ministerial committee to make forest policy, which would be presented before the cabinet for consent soon.

He said the federal government banned forest cutting in 1992 after severe floods but later allowed the cutting of wind-fallen and dried trees.

In response to another query of Mr Kifayatullah, Mr Wajid informed the house that over the last three years, the government had made five carp fish hatcheries in hot water of Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan and seven cold water hatcheries in Chitral, Kalkot, Madiyan, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra and Battagram for producing nurseries to be released in both public and private water.

Responding to a question about compensation to families of 14 Abbottabad mine blast victims, mines and mineral development minister Nawabzada Mehmood Zeb Khan said Workers Welfare Board offered its benefits to registered workers only.

He said illegal mining couldn’t be controlled due to lack of mineral guards. He said though mining had been banned, Rs100,000 was paid to the family of each Abbottabad incident victim.

“To ensure banning of illegal mining, the department has contacted senior police officials of Abbottabad to establish checkposts,” he said.

The minister said for appointment of mineral guards, a case had been sent to the finance department for consent. He said the government got FIRs registered against those involved in illegal mining.

In response to a query, auqaf and religious affairs minister Haji Nimroz Khan denied favouritism during distribution of funds to religious seminaries.

He said registered seminaries in the province totaled 1,450 and that every registered seminary was entitled to funds, which were released at request.

The question regarding appointment of Class IV employees in labour schools was referred to the relevant standing committee.