Centre, provinces to equally share cost of green projects

Islamabad:The federal government would provide half of the total funds in current fiscal year that are required to implement green initiatives, launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the provinces along with Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

According to the details, the climate change ministry has developed an understanding with the provincial departments that the total cost of the green initiatives would be equally shared by the federal government and the provinces.

An official said that the climate change ministry would also engage a third party of international repute to keep vigil over the utilisation of the funds by the provincial authorities. He said “The federal government asked all federating units along with AJK and GB to submit their Project-Concept (PC-I) for implementation of green initiatives like Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project and Protected Areas Initiative.”

He said that they have received PC-I from all of them and now the federal government and provincial departments would share the cost of the funds, adding “The provincial departments will have the responsibility to carry out the green projects while the federal government will act as the monitoring authority.”

It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched various green initiatives such as Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project, Protected Areas Initiatives, Clean and Green Pakistan and Recharge Pakistan.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that the federal government wants to implement all green initiatives in the provinces to make Pakistan green and environmentally sustainable country.

“The Centre and the provinces will equally share the cost of the green projects. The provinces will carry out the projects while the federal government will only monitor the work with the help of third party intervention,” he said.