Ombudsman establishes pension cell after listening pensioners cries

Lahore: Ombudsman Punjab Javed Mahmood has set up “Mohtasib Punjab Pension Cell” for immediately resolving the delayed and pending pension and GP Fund cases of retired government employees.

Ombudsman Punjab will personally monitor the Pension Cell and former Accountant General Punjab and Consultant Ombudsman Punjab for Finance and Accounts Wazir Ahmed Qureshi will assist “Mohtasib Punjab Pension Cell”.

Javed Mahmood has decided to set up “Mohtasib Punjab Pension Cell” after receiving number of complaints regarding extraordinary increase in the cases of undue delay in the payment of pension, GP Fund and other financial benefits of the retired employees.

Ombudsman Punjab has 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 Pension Cell will 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 and PensionSanctioning Authorities of 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 pension & GP Fund at every level. He noticed that some retired employees died before getting the pension in their life.

Ombudsman Punjab said that if the government employees play their role of facilitators for retired employees in payment of their dues, not only affairs of governance could be improved to a large extent but they will also be rewarded by Almighty Allah. He said that delay in the payment of pension and GP Fund tantamount to economic exploitation and mental torture of the retired employees and their families. Javed Mahmood said that “Mohtasib 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.