Proposal to fell 13,000 trees gets cabinet nod
UNB
The cabinet yesterday approved a proposal for cutting of 13,356 trees of forests under the Forest Department for implementing gas distribution pipeline project from Sreepur to Joydevpur to be implemented by the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, reports UNB. The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed reporters. Shafiul Alam said there is a government ban on cutting trees of any forest and it would remain valid until 2022 and currently the Cabinets approval is a must for cutting any tree from there.
But, considering the greater national interest, the Cabinet gave approval to cut 13,356 trees, including 4011 saleable trees, in three kilometers area stretching from Sreepur to Joydevpur, he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has been allowed to cut and remove the trees on condition that it would plant more than 26000tree saplings at suitable places on the same route. The Cabinet also gave final approval to the draft of The Ansar Battalion (Amendment) Act, 2016 fixing minimum service length of the Ansar members at 6 years instead of 9 as a condition to make their service permanent. Shafiul Alam said the draft law has been proposed amending the article 6(a) of the existing Ansar Battalion Act,1995.
According to the amended draft law, service of an Ansar member would be permanent on completion of six years of service which is nine years in the existing law. Earlier, at the outset of the Cabinet meeting, a condolence motion was adopted unanimously at the death of former Minister and MP from the Jessore-2 constituency Mostafa Faruk Mohammad.
