September 4, 2002	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Saani25,1423

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PESHAWAR, Sept 3: The NWFP government has declared the rain-affected parts of the Peshawar and Swabi districts as calamity-hit areas in an effort to extend relief to the people of these localities, according to official sources.

Villages falling under the limits of five union councils, badly affected by the recent spell of torrential rains in Peshawar, including Kafoor Dheri, Mathra, Shahi Bala, Panam Dheri and Garhi Sher Dad were declared calamity-hit through a notification issued by the NWFP relief commissioner on Monday.

Through another notification, areas falling under five revenue circles, 22 Patwar Halqas and 29 villages of the Swabi district were also declared calamity-hit due to heavy damage caused by floods and rains on Aug 14.

Nine people were killed and over 820 mud houses were partially damaged by torrential rains and flood caused by overflowing of watercourses in different parts of the Swabi district.

Similarly, a large number of houses got affected and area under crops got devastated in different parts of the Peshawar and Mardan districts as a result of flash floods, torrential rains and overflowing watercourses.

The sources said the rain-affected parts of the Peshawar and Swabi districts had been declared calamity-hit through separate notifications of the authorities concerned, while a summary to the concerned quarters had been moved seeking same action for the rain-affected parts of the Mardan district. Two people were killed due to heavy rains in Mardan and several mud houses got damaged.

The villages forming part of the total area declared calamity-hit by the provincial government in the Swabi district include Ismaila, Darra, Shah Mansoor, Jhanda, Zaida, Dagai, Gandaf, Malakabad, Ghahai, Dhobian, Kundha, Yaqubi and Chak Yar Hussain, Sardobeen, Bazagai, Anbar, Panj Dheri, Jangi Dher, Jalban, Yar Hussain, Hand, Lahore Sharqi, Lahore Gharbi, Manki, Tano, Sodher, Sadray, Urmal Dheri and Ghazi Kot.

In line with the government’s decision, abiana, land revenue, agriculture income and land tax would not be collected from the calamity-hit areas — both in Peshawar and Swabi districts — during the remaining part of the current financial year.

According to official sources, the decision would affect the provincial government’s efforts to improve its revenue base and collection of taxes as both the Peshawar and Swabi districts, with large area under cultivation, are among the leading revenue-generating districts of the province.

Of the Rs55 million tax collection target from the whole of the NWFP during the 2002-03 financial year under both the components of the land tax and agriculture income tax, the tax collection authorities of the Peshawar and Swabi districts have set Rs3 million and over Rs5 million targets, respectively.