SIALKOT, Aug 8: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has declared 100 villages affected by flood in the Pasrur tehsil calamity hit.

The chief minister also announced writing off the agriculture income tax, local tax, development tax, malia and abiana of all the flood-stricken farmers.

Mr Elahi announced this while speaking to a gathering of the flood affected people at Tharo Mandi village here on Friday evening.

He also announced suspension of agriculture loans recovery for a period of one year. He assured that the Punjab government would recommend the federal government to waive all the agricultural loans of the flood-hit farmers.

To provide complete protection to the people of the tehsil from the devastation of floods, he said paved safety embankments would be constructed on both sides of the Nullah Dek, besides raising considerably the level of Seehowal-Shehzada Road. Work on this project would be started in October with an estimated amount of Rs50 million, he said.

The chief minister also visited various flood-hit villages to ascertain losses caused by the flood at Nullah Dek.

He directed the Punjab Irrigation department higher-ups to prepare a comprehensive plan to save Sialkot and its adjoining areas on permanent basis from flood caused by nullahs Aik and Bhed.

The Punjab government, he said, would make all out efforts to ensure early rehabilitation of the people affected by the flood in Sialkot.

The chief minister handed over a cheque of Rs1 million to Pasrur Tehsil Nazim Chaudhry Maqsood Ahmad for providing food to the flood-stricken people.

MNA Zahid Hamid, Punjab Industries Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema, MPAs, Sialkot District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid, DCO Capt Zahid Saeed (retired), Pasrur DDO (Revenue) Nadeem Sarwar, Sialkot Tehsil Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema and Daska Tehsil Nazim Ejaz Ahmad Cheema were also present on the occasion.