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Stern action against illegal jak tree fellers

by Florence Wickramage

The Government will take stern action against those engaged in illegal felling of Jak trees, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Alick Aluvihare told the Daily News yesterday.

Aluvihare also urged Divisional Secretaries to act with a sense of responsibility in issuing permits to cut down Jak trees. He said Divisional Secretaries should personally visit the places before issuing permits.

It is also mandatory that the recommendations of the Grama Niladhari Officers be forwarded to the Divisional Secretaries for approval before permits are issued, the Minister said.

Aluvihare said he has received complaints that corruption and irregularities abound in the procedure adopted to issue permits to cut down Jak trees. These occur specially in Ratnapura, Badulla and Yatiyantota. The Ministry Secretary has been empowered to hold inquiries and take disciplinary action against errant officers, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has launched a programme to create awareness among all Divisional Secretaries and Grama Niladhari Officers about the procedure to be followed to prevent irregularities while considering requests for permits to cut down jak trees, Aluvihare said.

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