LEEPA VALLEY (Kashmir English): The Azad Kashmir government has lifted the ban on sale of wood after two years, but the decision has increased the prices of wood three times more than the actual rates causing inflation among the residents.
According to the details, building a house has become a dream for the poor people of the Leepa Valley. Due to the ban on wood in Azad Kashmir for 2 years, the citizens living in the snowy areas of Azad Kashmir are facing difficulties.
With the lifting of the ban on wood by the government, the price of wood was increased 3 times. The people rejected the increase in the rates of building and land-based wood.
Talking to Kashmir Digital, the people said that the houses of many people are incomplete and they were waiting for the ban on wood to be lifted, but the government has increased the prices.
The government should immediately cancel the notification of the increase in wood rates from the date of issuance, otherwise the people will be on the streets.
Earlier, In a significant bust, the authorities have seized a Mehran vehicle smuggling green gold (expensive wood) at the Chalhana check post, Neelum Valley.
According to the reports, the Rangers officer Ashkot Malik Tahir and his team apprehended the vehicle but the driver managed to escape leaving the expensive barkworth millions in the car.
The rangers team later transferred the car to UT where further investigation is ongoing.
This seizure demonstrates that efforts to crack down on smuggling are more active in the region. The installation of CCTV at the Chalhana check post will help reducesmuggling.
The enhanced surveillance will help authorities monitor suspicious human movementand infuse challenges upon smugglers in carrying out clandestine operations. This, inturn, will reduce the smuggling of illicit goods around the area.
