KULGAM, MAY 16: The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kulgam, Dr. Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat today chaired a meeting of officers to review the functioning of the Forest Department. Through a PowerPoint presentation, DFO (T) Kulgam apprised the chair about the functioning and achievements of the Forest Division Kulgam. He shared that the geographical area of the district is 1067KM² and the forest area is 440.78KM² that is 41.31 percent of the total geographical area of the district. He added that there are 3 territorial Ranges D.H.Pora, Veshow and Kulgam Ranges. The DFO also shared the details and activities carried out under BUC and also informed the chair that 328947 plants of different species were raised during the year 2022-23 and under Forest notice timber was supplied to 33 beneficiaries. While briefing about the removal of encroachments, DFO apprised the chair that encroachment was removed from 9.8 hectares of forest land in the year 2022-23. He also shared that 5000 quintals of fodder was distributed among the residents of forest fringe villages during 2022-23. The DFO also apprised the chair that Guard hut at Khull, Block Forest hut at Hallan is near to completion and also briefed the DC about the physical and financial status of other work projects of forest. The meeting was attended by ADDC Showkat Ahmad Rather, ACR Mir Imtiyaz-ul-Aziz, DFO (T) Syed Wasim and other officers.