LAHORE: Complainants of different districts have been provided legal relief to the tune of Rs7.5 million by concerned government departments on the directions of Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan.
On the direction of the ombudsman, a Jhang-based applicant, Khadija Iqbal, has been given Rs2.8 million as pending dues of her husband who died during service.
The ombudsman office has also directed the Director-General of Agriculture (Fields), Punjab to pay group insurance, death grant along-with creation of OSD post for issuance of pension and other emoluments to Iqbal and a compliance report be submitted to ombudsman office within 45 days positively.
On another complaint, the complainant has been paid Rs.2.2 million as a result of the intervention of the ombudsman office and a summary has also been sent to the competent authority to initiate disciplinary proceedings under Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act, 2006 against former district education officer Shafqat Habib responsible for negligence and delay.
In a similar case, a Toba Tek Singh-based applicant, Naseem Akhtar, has been given arrears of salaries valuing Rs0.64 million of her deceased husband who was an employee of the social welfare department.
On a separate application, the district education authority Rahim Yar Khan has paid arrears of dues Rs1.8 million to complainant Iftikhar Ahmed Khan and provision of salary has also been started after approval of OSD post as his father died during service.
The applicants thanked the ombudsman office for its support to eke out their legal rights.
