BAJAUR: The local forest department here on Tuesday launched a scheme to promote community forestry in Bajaur tribal district.

Provincial minister for Zakat, Ushr, social welfare and women empowerment Anwarzeb Khan inaugurated the scheme at a ceremony held in Kalan area of Mamond tehsil.

Tribal elders, political and social activists, farmers and officials of forest department were in attendance.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr Zeb said the government was committed to promoting community forestry in the merged districts for their socioeconomic development and countering climate change.

He said under the scheme people would be given saplings free of charge.

Mr Zeb accused the previous governments of not taking steps to promote afforestation in the tribal districts. The minister directed the officials of the forest department to ensure that saplings were well-protected till they were fully grown-up trees.

Later, the minister distributed rooted and tube saplings among growers.

Forest department officials told the minister said the scheme was part of the federal government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project. The officials said over 400,000 saplings would be given to farmers free of cost during the current plantation season till March 31.

VACCINATION DRIVE: The district administration has asked the health department to speed up the ongoing vaccination campaign against coronavirus.

Additional deputy commissioner Zohib Hayat issued the directive while presiding over a meeting of health department officials and representatives of World Health Organisation and other support organisations here the other day.

The participants reviewed the progress on the door-to-door inoculation drive, according to a statement.

Mr Hayat said the door-to-door activity was meant to get vaccinated maximum number of people against Covid-19 in the shortest possible time.

He directed the health department officials to expedite the campaign to get maximum number of people inoculated against the contagion.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022