Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 26

With few resources at its disposal, the Punjab Government has initiated the exercise of collecting “abiyana” (canal water user charge) from farmers.

Officials in the Irrigation Department have been asked to start collecting this charge at the rate of Rs 50 per acre per season or Rs 100 per annum from all farmers using canal water. The department hopes to collect Rs 200 crore per annum.

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Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation, VK Singh said 30 per cent of the farmland in the state was irrigated by canal. “We will start collecting the user charges so the money can be used for repair of canals. Punjab’s huge canal network is in urgent need of repairs. If we start collecting ‘abiyana’, we can convince the Finance Department to release the charges collected for canal repair,” he said.

The decision comes at a time when Punjab is facing its worst-ever financial crisis — the Centre has put curbs on the state’s borrowings, stopping it from raising Rs 1,000 crore through selling of bonds; bills worth Rs 5,000 crore are pending in the treasury; and the state is in an overdraft, after exhausting its ways and means advances limit of Rs 960 crore.

While new taxes to raise revenue have been put on hold for political considerations, the state government has decided to collect the existing taxes/user charges.

“Abiyana” has been collected in the past, but given the political implications, subsequent state governments have discontinued the practice. Also, irrigation officials have been reluctant in collecting the cess on the plea that the proceeds are not used for canal maintenance.

The department has patwaris who identify users and collect cess. Haryana, too, imposes an “abiyana” of Rs 100-150 per crop per season.