LAHORE - Punjab Ombudsman Javed Mahmood has set up “Mohtasib Punjab Pension Cell” for immediately resolving the pending pension and GP Fund cases of retired government employees.
The ombudsman will personally monitor the Cell and former Accountant General Punjab and Consultant Ombudsman Punjab for Finance and Accounts Wazir Ahmed Qureshi will assist the ombudsman. He decided to set up the Cell after receiving number of applications regarding extraordinary increase in the cases of undue delay in the payment of pension, GP Fund and other financial benefits.
The ombudsman asked the retired government employees to bring into the notice of “Mohtasib Punjab Pension Cell” the matters of delay in payment of pension, GP Fund, Benevolent Fund and group insurance so that they could be made payment at the earliest. Javed Mahmood said that the Cell would resolve the matters of retired government employees on the spot by visiting regional offices of Ombudsman Punjab at Multan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha and all other districts and thus it will work like a “Mobile Pension Cell”.
He told that Mobile Pension Cell will call for the authorized officers of approving the pension in provincial departments and ask the reasons for delaying payment of pension, GP Fund and other financial benefits. Ombudsman Punjab lamented that the government employees who served a long time have to run from pillar to post for their genuine and legitimate rights and the red tapism, corruption and maladministration create hurdles in the approval and payment of GP Fund at every level. He noticed that some retired employees died before getting the pension.
The ombudsman said if the government employees play their role for facilitating retired employees in payment of their dues, not only affairs could be improved to a large extent but they will also be rewarded. He said that delay in the payment of pension and GP Fund tantamount to economic exploitation and mental worries of the retired employees and their families.
Javed Mahmood said that Mohtashib Punjab Pension Cell has been activated and expressed the hope that it will succeed in resolving the pension and GP Fund cases of the old retired employees.