Punjab Government, under the Green Pakistan Programme, has planned development projects of wildlife preservation and habitat improvement in Province. These projects will be completed with the cost of Rs. 284 million. Development funds for Annual Development Programme has been earmarked Rs. 550 billion.
Punjab Planning & Development Member Agha Waqar Javed said this while addressing the seminar & consultative session on wildlife preservation and habitat improvement under Green Pakistan Programme jointly organized by Punjab Planning & Development Department and Wildlife & Parks Department at P&D Complex, Lahore.
Agha Waqar Javed P&D Member reiterated that Government should have generated additional resources for modern development in Pakistan to achieve the growth rate in China & India. NGO’s, stake holders and private sectors must be involved and encouraged to work together. All development projects in Province are being executed smoothly and funded from development budget. To implement the wildlife projects under Green Pakistan Programme, participation of private sector at large would be completely ensured. Forest lands should be offered to private sector for investment, development and promotion in the field of wildlife sector, said Agha Waqar Member P&D. Member P&D chairing the seminar offered the stake holders/private sectors to share any development project with Government sector for its positive consideration and then approval.
Addressing the session, Director General Wildlife Punjab Khalid Ayaaz Khan giving presentation on wildlife project said that development and rehabilitation of central GIS lab at Lahore and 8 regional nodes has been established for collection of data from all districts and areas of Punjab. Under this project training courses for IT base management, staff training in office management, capacity building training course for managers, five day workshop for integrated wetland management from foreign master trainers and mass awareness programme through seminar NGO’s students and walks would be organized. World Wild Fund (WWF) Pakistan Senior representative Director Dr. Masood suggested for more development in Wildlife sector and proposed his interventions on projects. He said that hunter should be on board and WWF Information Center at Taunsa would be available free of cost for promotion of awareness. The representative of private sector Badar Munir motivated that habitat development in Province should be permanently focused. Government officials included private sector, stakeholders, the representative of Wildlife & World Wildlife Fund also attended the session.