Four new modules—e-Tawan, e-Drainage, e-Effluent Charges, and non-irrigation use of canal water—will soon be added to the system, it was announced to the meeting’s attendees.
The Punjab Irrigation Department’s e-Abiana System, created by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), has collected more than Rs. 1 billion in payments against 2.5 million farmer bills.
It was revealed during a meeting at Arfa Software Technology Park chaired by PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf (ASTP). Senior officials from the PITB, including Additional Director General (ADG) Khurram Mushtaq, also attended the meeting.
Four new modules—e-Tawan, e-Drainage, e-Effluent Charges, and non-irrigation use of canal water—will soon be added to the system, it was announced to the meeting’s attendees.
Chairman Faisal Yousaf made the following statement during his remarks: “The e-Abiana System has not only significantly increased government revenue but also brought transparency and convenience for the farmers in paying the abiana.”
He continued, “The digital mechanism, operating in 59 divisions throughout Punjab, is displacing the centuries-old conventional process of manual billing.
The digital system called e-Abiana was created by PITB for the Punjab Irrigation Department to collect water fees and fines. Through electronically generated bills for the irrigators, this system has modernized the antiquated collection system while ensuring the transparency and accountability. Pakistan’s Punjab province is home to the Punjab Irrigation Department, a provincial irrigation agency.
To assist farmers, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Punjab Irrigation Department worked together to introduce the E-Abiana system, a clever and effective solution.
The E-Abiana system primarily consists of an electronic mechanism for automating the water revenue collection system and fines. It is also possible to describe it as an e-Pay Punjab solution for the payment of water tax. The Punjabi farmers will greatly benefit from its simple-to-use system for settling their unpaid debts.
Additionally, this automated system was established with the sole objective of facilitating tax payments as well as ensuring transparency and reducing instances of tax fraud and corruption.