Secretary Benevolent Fund to review the existing welfare schemes : ACS Punjab Omer Rasul

Lahore : Additional Chief Secretary Punjab Omer Rasul has directed Secretary Punjab Benevolent Fund to review the existing welfare schemes for the serving and retired government employees and their families and new avenues aiming at to need-base requirements of the employees should be discovered.

He directed the Secretary Punjab Benevolent Fund to hire the services of financial and investment experts from private sector in this regard and a comprehensive report be submitted in next meeting of Punjab Benevolent Fund Board after consultation with the government employees.

He issued these directions while presiding over the Punjab Benevolent Fund Board meeting, here at Civil Secretariat today.

Secretary Services Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Secretary Punjab Benevolent Fund Syeda Malaika, Special Secretary Finance Saif Ullah Dogar, Secretary Board of Revenue Muneer Ahmad Shah, representatives of Health and Irrigation Departments and office bearers of Punjab Civil Secretariat Employees Association  were present.

Secretary Punjab Benevolent Fund presented annual report of expenditure and income in the meeting of the PBF Board. The board members approved an amount of Rs. 2130 million for the annual expenditure of Punjab Benevolent Fund Board.

The Board members also accorded approval of Rs. 888 million on account of annual scholarship of 34015 children of government employees, monthly grant amounting to Rs.  668 million for 339 widows of the diseased employees, an amount of Rs. 210 million for marriage grant to the children of 3418 employees and farewell grant for 2100 retiring employees amounting to Rs. 190 million.

It was informed that as many as 1300 employees applied for funeral grant and an amount of 32.1 million were sanctioned for payment.

Secretary Punjab Benevolent Fund Board briefed the members that an amount of Rs. 5700 million was received from Accountant Genera Punjab office on account of subscription, deducted from the salaries of the employees throughout province.

Punjab Benevolent Fund should make arrangements for speedy provision of welfare grants and financial assistance to the deserving employees and widows and Information Technology may be used for the purpose.

Benevolent Fund is the sole fund of the employees and for the employees and there is no justification for delay in payments, remarked ACS Punjab.

It was decided in principle in the meeting that more welfare schemes for the benefits of the employees would be initiated and ACS directed to hire the services of financial experts from private sector to invest the amount of Benevolent Fund in profitable schemes and projects.

The proposals of employees, being stakeholders and beneficiaries, should be taken into consideration apart from reports of financial experts while preparing comprehensive recommendation for need-base initiatives and proposed new welfare schemes, directed ACS.