SARGODHA, Aug 09 (APP):Punjab Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique inaugurated a digital payment system for the Municipal Corporation of Sargodha, marking a significant milestone for local governance in the province.
With this digital transformation, the collection of municipal bills, taxes, and fees will be streamlined, leading to a substantial increase in revenue. Speaking at the launch, he emphasized that this digitalization will improve financial management, eliminate the need for citizens to visit offices, reduce corruption, and enhance service delivery. The primary objective of online payments is to make municipal services more accessible to the public, he added.
Additionally, Sargodha has been included in the Asian Development Bank’s Dream 2 project, which involves an investment of Rs27 billion to address the city’s long-standing issues of water supply, sewerage, and waste management.
The provincial minister further announced that waste management systems in all divisions, except for two, will be outsourced this month. Commissioner Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti stated that a uniform sanitation system is being implemented across cities and villages, ensuring door-to-door garbage collection and cleaner streets. Citizens will be able to pay their taxes and bills through their mobile phones.
The Commissioner added that the purpose of e-billing is to collect data from municipal service users and to suspend services for those who fail to pay their taxes and bills.
Minister Zeeshan Rafique also inaugurated the office of the Sargodha Waste Management Company near Zafarullah Chowk. The establishment of this office aims to implement a sustainable and uniform sanitation system across the province.
The event was attended by Secretary of Local Government Shakil Ahmed Mian, members of the provincial assembly Safdar Sahi and Mian Ikramullah, Deputy Commissioner Captain (Retd) Aurangzeb Haider Khan, Chief Officer of the Municipal Corporation Tariq Parvia, Chief Officer of the District Council Asadullah Hariya, Chief Officer of the Waste Management Company Rana Shahid Imran, as well as officials from the PITB and DG PMDFC.
