Ombudsman Punjab orders for payment of acquired land in a month

Lahore: Ombudsman Punjab Javaid Mahmood has ordered Secretary Finance and Director General (Accounts) Works Department to release a cheque of worth Rs. 0.48 million in favour of Ms. Matlooban Bibi on account of land, acquired for the construction of Patrolling Post on the National Highway Road, Kabirwala, Khanewal, within a period of one month, under intimation to Ombudsman Punjab Office.

According to details, Ms. Matlooban Bibi, a resident of Tehsil Kabirwala, District Khanewal, lodged a complaint to Ombudsman Punjab in which she stated that C&W Department acquired her land for construction of Patrolling Post and issued a cheque of worth Rs. 0.48 million just before closing date of the financial year2013-2014. She deposited the cheque in her bank account but the same was returned with the observation that one month scroll period had expired and revalidation of the cheque was required for payment. She submitted the said cheque to SDO Buildings Sahiwal in July 2014.

The complainant averred that many a times, she went to the Highway Patrolling Officials as well as to the District Accounts Office Sahiwal for payment but still deprived of amount. Ombudsman Punjab directed Advisor District Khanewal Zahoor-ul-Haq Rana to probe the issue. It was disclosed during inquiry process that the same cheque was transmitted to Secretary Finance through Chief Engineer Buildings Department and Secretary C&W in January 2015 for revalidation.

Ombudsman Punjab in his order has observed “It is sorrowful that the complainant was not instructed properly by the relevant department to get the cheque encashed before 30^th of June i.e. within Financial Year 2013-214”. The process of revalidation of cheque was taken up with very slow pace and the same was still pending with Secretary Finance since many months. Ombudsman Punjab has ordered Secretary Finance and DG (Accounts) Works to get revalidate the cheque and discharge pending liability in terms of payment of amount to Ms. Matlooban Bibi, the owner of the acquired land, within a period of one month, under intimation to the office of Ombudsman Punjab.