PESHAWAR, Jan 3: NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has declared certain parts of Mardan, Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan and Charsadda districts as calamity-hit areas.

The areas were exempted from payment of water, land, revenue, agriculture income taxes for one year, i.e. up to Dec 31, 2009, according to a handout.

The areas include Paroa and Paharpur tehsils in D. I. Khan, revenue office circles of Charsadda, Tangi and Utmanzai in the Charsadda district, sugarcane growing areas of Peshawar and Takhtbai and Mardan city.

The sugarcane growing areas of these districts were severely damaged due to cold weather during 2007 and 2008. It may be mentioned here that MPAs Murid Kazim, Tehmash Khan and Sher Afgan had tabled resolutions in the provincial assembly to declare their respective areas as calamity hit.—Bureau Report