Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday inaugurated the e-abiana billing system and handed over e-abiana bills to the farmers.

The chief minister said computerised bills will be issued to farmers, adding that the latest system will save the water users from the discrepancies of the previous practice of issuing abiana on a ‘parchi.’ Rather, they will be issued a detailed bill containing details of the farmer and agricultural land.

This bill will be payable through nearest banks, Easypaisa, ATMs, JazzCash or e-Pay Punjab, he continued. The new facility will help the farmers along with timely recovery of abiana dues. It will also assist in maintaining the colossal irrigation system by improving recoveries, he further said.

This system was initially introduced in Khanwah, Layyah, Kasur and Sheikhupura canal divisions to substitute the 100-year-old archaic abiana system. It is designed in collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board to be gradually enforced in the whole of the province.

Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, provincial ministers Mohsin Leghari and Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, secretaries of irrigation and information departments and others attended the ceremony.

Separately, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, in principle, approved the proposal of setting up a special children’s village at 104 kanals of land retrieved from the squatters in Sharaqpur.

He directed to finalise the proposal adding that the latest technology be used to decrease construction cost while ensuring early completion of the project.

While chairing a meeting at his office, the CM said physically challenged children will be provided sports therapy and other facilities while sports ground will be utilised for multiple purposes. He expressed the satisfaction that a provincial special education policy has been chalked out along with the introduction of an e-transfer policy for teachers of special education institutions.

Meanwhile, a special education mobile app has also been launched to help parents to register their differently-abled child in a nearby institution, he added.

The CM stated nine new institutions have been established for differently-abled children along with the provision of 51 buses to pick and drop the disabled students. Meanwhile, 3 free uniforms and shoes are also provided to special children every year, he added.

The education and training of children with disabilities is the responsibility of the government and abundant resources will be provided for the purpose, he said.