Ombudsman Punjab orders for the promotion of a Library Clerk

Lahore: Ombudsman Punjab, Javed Mehmood has ordered Education Department Punjab to promote the Library Clerk of Nankana Sahib from grade-5 to grade-7 and District Accounts Officer Nankana Sahib to pay the arrears of last six years to the concerned Library Clerk within a month.
According to details, Iqbal Hussain, Library Clerk of Government College for Women Sangla Hill, submitted an application to Ombudsman Punjab that Punjab Finance Department had upgraded posts of all junior clerks from grade-5 to grade-7 and senior clerks from grade-7 to grade-9 in 2007 but District Accounts Officer Nankana Sahib refused to pay him salary according to upgraded post. Ombudsman Punjab sought reply from the Education Department, Finance Department and District Accounts Officer in this regard. District Accounts Officer was of the view that Finance Department has upgraded the post of Junior Clerk while the applicant is Library Clerk and till the issuance of a notification regarding upgradation of the post of Library Clerk, financial benefits cannot be given to the applicant. Ombudsman Punjab while rejecting the view point of District Accounts Officer, ordered in writing that the posts of junior clerk, library clerk and library assistant are of equal grade and financial benefits while after the notification of the Finance Department, Local Government Department has also upgradted the posts of tax clerks and octroi clerks from grade 5 to 7. The refusal to give the financial benefits of grade seven to the library clerk by the District Accounts Officer is against the justice, he added.

Ombudsman Punjab Javed Mahmood directed Education Department Punjab to promote Iqbal Hussain to grade-7 and ordered District Accounts Officer to issue pay slip of grade-7 to Iqbal Hussain and after paying all the dues within one month inform the Ombudsman Office.