Senior Member of the Board of Revenue (SMBR) Punjab, Nabeel Javed chaired a meeting in the BOR committee room to discuss the e-abiana system. The meeting was attended by Secretary Irrigation Wasif Khurshid, Member (Taxes) Tariq Qureshi, Secretary (Taxes) Taseer Ahmad, and other relevant officers. Secretary Irrigation Wasif Khurshid provided a briefing on the abiana recovery in the province.
During the meeting, SMBR Nabeel Javed emphasized the importance of timely door-to-door delivery of the abiana bills. The option of receiving the abiana payments through the BOR hierarchy was also considered.
Nabeel Javed stated that the lumberdars should be required to deposit the recovery amounts in the treasury on a weekly basis. Additionally, the concerned officers should personally visit the field to ensure effective implementation of the recovery process. He further emphasized the need for efficient monitoring of teams responsible for revenue and abiana recovery. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against officers and staff members who display negligence or sluggishness. He highlighted that the implementation of the e-abiana collection system aims to bring transparency to the system, and reforms in irrigation rules are essential.
Nabeel Javed issued instructions to send letters to all districts regarding abiana and revenue recovery, emphasizing the utilization of all available resources to ensure timely tax collection. The assessment of water rates and timely completion of targets were also emphasized. Furthermore, recovery committees will be established at district and tehsil levels to oversee water charge collection from water-consuming industries and to digitize irrigation records related to water collection.