LAHORE, June 30: The Punjab government has declared 6,000 villages of various districts as calamity hit on account of drought, virus attack on crops and deployment of army during 2001-02, a meeting presided over by Revenue Minister Malik Muhammad Aslam was informed.

The decision involves remission of agriculture income tax, water rate, development cess and local rates.

The minister was informed that the decisions had been taken on the reports by districts coordination officers of Attock, Jhang, Chakwal, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.

He said 333 villages or revenue estates in Attock, 11 in Jhang, 13 in Dera Ghazi Khan and 422 in Rajanpur had been declared calamity-hit. He said a similar declaration had already been made around 445 revenue estates.

The minister directed the Board of Revenue officials to complete relief arrangements at the earliest. Banks, too, he said, should also be asked to postpone recovery of agriculture loans from the farmers in these areas.

The meeting was informed that 3,437 revenue estates in Mianwali, Attock, Dera Ghazi Khan, Chakwal, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Multan, Bhakkar, Khushab, and Cholistan districts were declared calamity-hit last year.

Another 488 revenue estates in Lahore, Okara, Narowal, Bahawalnagar, Sialkot and Kasur districts which had suffered on account of deployment of army there between March and June.

The meeting was informed that the Relief Department had paid Rs3.15 million as compensation to the affected people in various districts during the fiscal year 2001-02.

An amount of Rs4.5 million had been given in advance to the DCOs in the province for flood relief arrangements. More funds would be released if necessary.