PITB Developed ‘Plant for Prosperity’ App Registers More Than 2 Lakh Plants

Lahore – 12 March 2023:

Under the Monitoring of Implementation of Urban and Peri-Urban Forest Policy, 14 different departments of Punjab have so far registered more than 2 lakh plants on the Plant for Prosperity’ App developed by PITB to make the plantation activity a part of the record.
The Urban and Peri-Urban project aims at the digitization of plantation activities across Punjab through which the overall planting statistics as well as the plantation targets given to the departments can be viewed.

e-Pension System will automate manual pension system by digitizing the traditional processes: PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf

LAHORE – March 9, 2023

e-Pension System, developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) in collaboration with the department of Accountant General (AG) Punjab, will facilitate the retired employees of the Government of Punjab.

In this regard, PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said that the e-Pension System will be a digital repository of retirees and allow the beneficiaries to process their pension from the comfort of their homes.

The system was unveiled last week in an inauguration ceremony presided over by Controller General of Accounts Pakistan Maqbool Ahmed Gondal held at the AG office.

The PITB-developed e-Pension System will automate the manual pension system by digitizing the traditional processes, making the experience hassle-free and paperless.

It is pertinent to mention here that the pilot phase of e-Pension System commenced from the School Education Department where data of four lakh teachers has already been digitized. The initiative will be rolled out in other departments across Punjab in due course.

PITB Organizes Networking Session For Female Staff On Int’l Women’s Day

LAHORE – March 08,2023

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Human Resource (HR) Wing organized a networking session at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP) to pay tribute to its strong and passionate women workforce.

Distinguished speakers from PITB participated in the session to share their success stories and guide other female colleagues about strategies to manage obstacles and emotional stress.

PITB female staff heavily participated in the networking session and shared their stories. PITB HR Director Adeel Ahmed Sarwar, Senior Program Manager (SPM) Amina Mohsin also participated in the session.

On this occasion, PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf stated, “PITB is an equal opportunity employer and strongly believes in gender equality. Women at PITB are at the forefront of contributing towards building the foundation of Digital Punjab.”

Geo-tagging of more than 2,700 mineral deposits completed under Chief Inspectorate of Mines App

LAHORE – March 9, 2023

Under the Chief Inspectorate of Mines App, developed by Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) for the Punjab Minerals Department, more than 2,700 mineral deposits have been geo-tagged, while more than 850 inspections have been done by 14 inspectors deployed in 7 different regions.

This was told in a meeting presided over by PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf held at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP). PITB Additional Director General (ADG) Qasim Ifzal, Director Atif Hussain and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting were apprised that PITB has facilitated the Department of Minerals to digitize all mineral mine sites and conduct inspection through mobile phones in a paperless environment.

In addition, the system facilitates the department in tracking the presence of Emergency Rescue Equipment at the mine.

Under the Chief Inspectorate of Mines System, the process has been simplified and digitized to monitor the violation of mining rules online. Along with this, a timely alert feature in case of any untoward situation or accident has also been provided in the app.

On this occasion, Chairman Faisal Yousaf said that the Department of Minerals has now moved towards digitization which saves considerable time for carrying out various actions

Rs.1 Billion Collected against 2.5 million bills as Abiana through PITB-developed e-Abiana System

LAHORE – March 2, 2023

e-Abiana System, developed by Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) for the Punjab Irrigation Department, has collected more than Rs. 1 billion against 2.5 Million bills issued to the farmers. It emerged in a meeting presided over by PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf held at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP). PITB Additional Director General (ADG) Khurram Mushtaq and other senior officials also participated in the meeting.

The attendants of the meeting were informed that four new modules namely e-Tawan, e-Drainage, e-Effluent Charges and Non-Irrigation use of canal water will soon be added to the system.

In his remarks on the occasion, Chairman Faisal Yousaf said, “The e-Abiana System has not only increased the government revenue significantly, but also brought transparency as well as convenience for the farmers in paying the abiana.”

“The digital mechanism, operational in 59 Divisions across Punjab, is overturning the decades old traditional process of manual billing,” he added.

Smart Future Technologies signs an MOU with Huawei Technologies Pakistan for Developing Innovative ICT Infrastructure Solutions

The Smart Future Technologies (SFT) team led by Head of Smart Technologies FHDL, Brigadier (Retired) Arshad Kayani visited the Huawei Office in Islamabad on 24th February, 2023 for MOU Signing between the two companies.

Smart Future Technologies PVT Limited (SFT) is a partner company of Habib Rafique Group Pvt. Limited (HRL Group) & Future Development Holdings (FDH) for Smart Cities projects like Capital Smart City and Lahore Smart City etc. Their systems deployed in “Smart Cities” connect people, things and processes to eventually permit our habitats to ensure quality living.

Both SFT & Huawei teams look forward to working on key projects together going forward, with a focus on the Smart Community projects in Pakistan, where SFT Pakistan is the developer and Huawei is the lead technology OEM. Both the parties will cooperate on Smart Destination development across architectural planning and construction execution phases by harnessing key technologies such as Cloud Computing, Big Data, AI, Data Center Network, Storage, and Servers, Data Center Facility, Intelligent Security Surveillance System and Solar Energy, etc. Furthermore both companies will work in close coordination on latest updates and development in smart technologies.

Smart Future Technologies and Huawei Technologies Pakistan have decided to join hands for working together in collaboration to develop innovative ICT infrastructure solutions that will serve as a game changer for the Real-Estate Industry in Pakistan.

Rs280 Million Disbursed Among PESSI Workers Through Cash Benefit App

LAHORE – Feb 28,2023

‘Cash Benefit App’, designed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) for the secured workers of the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI), has disbursed more than Rs. 280 Million among the PESSI workers so far. This was told in a progress review meeting chaired by PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf. The meeting was held at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP) and attended by PITB Additional Director General (ADG) Khurram Mushtaq, Director Nausheen Fayyaz and other officials.

The participants of the meeting were apprised that more than 40,000 applications were submitted out of which 27,000 were approved to facilitate the deserving employees. Meanwhile, 9,000 applications have been rejected while 950 are still pending.

Overall PESSI workers can apply for 11 different benefits through the PITB’s Cash Benefit App.

On this occasion, Chairman Faisal Yousaf remarked that the Cash Benefit App has proven to be an important step towards ensuring transparency. “The App has been efficiently assisting the department in pursuing paperless workflows and facilitating deserving candidates,” he added.

The Cash Benefit App, a major leap forward towards automation of the PESSI, has enabled the department in making timely payments of financial benefits to registered workers while ensuring mutual convenience.

PITB HR Wing Organizes Session On ‘Ethics, Values, & Expected Behavior’

LAHORE – Feb 28, 2023

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Human Resource (HR) Wing, in collaboration with the Software Engineering (SE) Wing, organized a session on ‘Ethics, Values, & Expected Behavior’ for its staff, under the ‘Workplace Essentials’ program. The session was conducted by SE Wing Director Muhammad Jahanzeb Akbar and HR Senior Program Manager (SPM) Amina Rab.

HR Director Ahmed Adeel Sarwar and PITB officials from IT Operations, e-Rozgaar, IT Solutions, Disabled Persons Management Information System (DPMIS) team, Admin Wing, Audit Wing, SE Wing and HR Wing attended the session.

In this regard, PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said that PITB has been taking significant measures to improve the skills of its staff members along with providing them with a safe and conducive office environment.

“Such sessions aim at enabling PITB staff to achieve higher productivity and a better quality of life at workplace,” he added.

In line with the vision of Punjab Government, ‘Workplace Essentials’ is a continuous learning development program, launched by PITB HR Wing to create and maintain productive, safer and congenial work environment for its employees. The session concluded with a quiz competition and the winners were awarded with prizes.

Spotify Announces Natasha Humera Ejaz as EQUAL Pakistan’s Ambassador of the Month

Spotify’s second EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador for 2023 has been announced and the artist who has lit up EQUAL’s digital billboard at Times Square NYC is none other than Natasha Humera Ejaz. A singer and actor who began her career at the slender age of 7 will have her beautiful track “Khud Se Batein” featured on Spotify’s EQUAL Pakistan playlist as part of the celebrations.

Natasha’s journey as an artist began with PTV when she was only seven years old. However, her debut single “Today is a place” came out in 2010, propelling her into the mainstream music industry. Since then, she has had a rousing journey, not only producing some incredible tracks to woo her audiences but also lending her vocals to Mehru in the much anticipated animated film ‘Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor’.

“I never realized until EQUAL Ambassador of the Month actually happened what it feels like to have my voice amplified on the global stage.” stated Natasha Humera Ejaz while voicing her excitement at the achievement. “I do what I do because I can’t think of another way of living, and to have the opportunity to share what I’m passionate about with the world and simultaneously turn up the volume on all girls is a huge privilege,” she added.

Many of Natasha’s tracks are crowd favorites while several of them have been nominated for coveted local accolades. Songs which include the likes of “Till the end of time” and “Khwab” have both been recognized for their vocal prowess. Moreover, her track, “God in me”, which narrates her own story is another sensational melody that moves listeners.

Expressing her views on the announcement, Rutaba Yaqub, Senior Editor for Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh stated:”Natasha Humera has been blessing the industry with her music for as long as I can remember. She has inspired and supported so many of her fellow artists along the way. We at Spotify are excited to have her as an EQUAL ambassador, giving her the mic to speak louder about women’s equity in the music industry.”

EQUAL Pakistan, the signature platform from Spotify which highlights some of the most resounding female artists in the country, is close to completing its first anniversary of taking some incredible local talents international.

Applications Open For Admission To e-Rozgaar Training Program

LAHORE – Feb 27,2023

e-Rozgaar Training Program, an initiative of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, has started receiving applications for its next phase.

The unemployed youth bearing Punjab domicile can submit applications for training in 7 different fields including Mobile App Development, Technical Content Marketing, Creative Designing and e-Commerce. In order to secure admission in the said program, the age limit is 35 years and the required educational qualification is Master’s.

It is pertinent to mention here that as many as 45 e-Rozgaar Centers are operational across 41 districts of Punjab. More than 51,000 students, of which 56 per cent are women, have earned more than Rs. 3.5 billion through the Internet after the completion of their training. Candidates can register through the website for on-campus or online training: www.erozgaar.pitb.gov.pk