MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forest department has increased the timber smuggling and deforestation fine in the province manifold.

“Our department wants to protect green gold (forest) in the province and therefore, it has increased the fine on those involved in timber smuggling and illegal tree cutting many times. This will help check illegal acts,” district forest officer of Agror and Tanawal forest range Farhad Ali told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the fine on timber smuggling had gone up from Rs400 per square foot to Rs1800 per square foot for cheer, from Rs700 per square foot to Rs2500 per square foot for biar and from Rs1000 per square foot to Rs3000 per square foot for diar.

“The fine will be double if timber is seized at night. This will be a great step towards eradication of timber smuggling in the region,” he said.

Mr Ali said in future, owner of a pickup van would have to pay Rs25,000 instead of Rs10,000 if timber was confiscated.

Meanwhile, the joint forest management committee (JFMC) on Tuesday praised the PTI government for striving to check timber smuggling in the province.

Chairman of Chimial JFMC Malik Younas told reporters in Oghi that increase in the timber smuggling and deforestation fine was a welcome move by the government as it would help discourage smuggling of timber.

He said the government should hold the relevant officials and guards of the forest range accountable for deforestation in their respective areas.

Mr Younas said police should also be tasked with protecting trees against illegal cutting and checking timber smuggling in the province.

WOMEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: The Federation for Environment, Education, Development and Equal Rights (Feeder), a nongovernmental organisation, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a project for the development of local women here in Balakot tehsil on Tuesday.

“We are going to establish skill development centres in nine villages of Balakot and Garlat union councils to give training to destitute women, especially those who had lost husbands in the Oct 2005 devastating earthquake,” said Feeder chief executive Ibrar Ahmad Swati during the inaugural ceremony.

Mr Swati said vocational centres would impart training to more than 120 women in the field of embroidery and sewing and that their handiwork would be exhibited at national and international forums.

Members of local community, especially women and notables, were in attendance.

“Under the ‘Women Entrepreneurs of Balakot’ project funded by the US, the oppressed segments of society will be provided with opportunities to make them useful citizens,” Mr Swati said.

The Feeder chief executive said his organisation was working for the development of women, who were weak in society and were always denied rights.

PTI Mansehra district president Shafahat Ali Khan, Balakot tehsil president Mushtaq Khan and Feeder information secretary Shahbaz Khan also spoke on the occasion.