BAHAWALPUR: The PC-I of about Rs100 million for the improvement of infrastructure at the Bahawalpur Zoo has been submitted to the Punjab government.

According to Curator Ayub Sabir, Rs100 million approved last month under the Annual Development Plan by the Punjab government will be utilised in two phases for the improvement and replacement of cages, construction of a lecture theatre for the visitors particularly students and addition of animals and birds under an ‘exchange programme’ with other zoos in the country.

Speaking to Dawn, he said the Punjab Wildlife Department had granted permission to open zoo’s ‘assignment account’ with a local bank having joint signatures of the curator and the wildlife department director general. With the opening of this bank account, he maintained, the authorised officials could be able to spend the income of the Zoo on its betterment keeping in view the requirements. Otherwise, the officials had to seek permission of higher-ups and the process became cumbersome, he said.

He disclosed that the zoo earned Rs23 million up to June 30, 2017 which exceeded Rs4.8 million of its target for the previous financial year.

Meanwhile, Dawn learnt that a summary of the wildlife department to seek sanctioning of funds to the tune of about Rs50 million for the acquisition/purchase and import of an elephant has been pending for more than six months with the Punjab government. It is yet to be cleared by the department for seeking the chief minister’s approval.

Sources say the summary had been forwarded to the wildlife department long ago and inordinate delay in approval could render the amount insufficient because of possible increase in the prices of elephants in the international market especially African countries.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2017