LAND AND WATER GRABBER ZARDARI AND HIS CROCKS ARE THREAT TO SINDHs SECURITY- Read one recent story of his crimes-. On 15th Jan 2015 Mr, Riaz Ahmed Wagan Chief Conservator Forests (CCF) of Sindh province of Pakistan was arrested by Anti corruption police Karachi in a fake case of out of law auction and out of law leases registered by an influential related to ruling party of Sindh province. Mr, Riaz wagan during his two year career as CCF worked under pressure of political influentials of ruling party for out of rules leasing forest land even forest cover for Agro-forestry. Mr, Riaz Wagan who is known as forest loving officer faced many illegal demands but resisted these attempts. Sindh province has 605583 acres Riverine, 182314 acres Inland, 751063 acres Coastal forest. Due to shortage of water in River Indus, ill policies and political influence in forest department; 90% forest cover has been deforested. Nearly entire forest land cleared after deforestation is under occupancy for agriculture to influentials and political persons including ministers and lawmakers. Today the entire forest land is under threat of Agriculture conversion by political persons and influential’s. Forest lands are charming for political persons which are always used as political bribe to vote bank owners. Therefore forest department is focused for political involvement by all provincial governments. Ruling party appoints those officials on key posts who obey their orders even against themes and basic programs of department. In this situation forest department is not a conservationist department but it is converted as land providing department to political persons to secure and raise their vote banks. Due to appointment of forest officials on political basis the basic job of forest department to conserve and restore forests has been ended. Some officials who still desire to work according to principles have been cornered on powerless positions. All the officials are busy to fulfill the legal or illegal demands of political persons. Forest department has been converted in land utilization department for political persons. Leases do not process according to policy but through political influence. All the issues and disputes related to forest lands are being resolved by politicians and not by department. In 2010 the then CCF Sindh Mr, Aijaz Nizamani was removed from his seat when he refused same ruling party influentials to lease out forest covers of Hyderabad and Khipro for Agro-forestry. After his removal “Yaksaala” (one year permission for agriculture) scheme was introduced under this scheme over 20000 acres rich forest cover of khebrani and Khipro were deforested after leased for agriculture purpose. These lands are still under their occupancies and are converted in their personal lands. Forest department conducted a inquiry for the damage of these forest covers under yaksaala scheme and recommended to termination of involved officials including the then CCF Sindh but was not compliance. In 2013 just after his appointment as CCF Mr, Riaz wagan was pressurized to give 250 million PKR as bribe of his seat which he refused. He refused to lease out forest cover and resisted to include any new area in leasing schedule. He cancelled many leases exercised through out of rules process one of those was Khebrani island forest district Matyari. During his career Agro-forestry policy was amended in which NGOs were allowed avail lease which were restricted in previous version. Recently he was facing attempts of illegal encroachments by two provincial ministers in Miani forest. He was under pressure by highly influentials of ruling party to handover over 30000 acres forest land of district Thatta and Dadu after cancelling leases to establish sugar cane zone and banana farms but he refused to do this. This refusal was resulted in the shape of arrest in fake case on him. Just after his arrest the same person has been appointed as CCF Sindh who was recommended for termination from service after damage in yaksaala. Arrest for removal of Mr, Riaz Wagan is beginning of loss of remaining forest cover as well as status of forest land of Sindh because he was real custodian of our forest and forest land in the era when we are facing the drought of such officials. In 2010 after forcibly removal of Aijaz Nizamani we said good bye to Khebrani and other forest covers of Sindh and we may now say good bye to forest lands which are under attept of conversions by influentials.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 03:01:16 +0000
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