Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan has released the annual performance report for the year 2022 of his office under Section 28(1) of the Punjab Office of the Ombudsman Act, 1997.
According to the report, the ombudsman office successfully resolved 29,970 complaints out of a total of 31,149, resulting in an impressive 96 percent resolution rate. Of these, 26,511 complaints were addressed within 45 days, while 3,459 applications took longer than 45 days due to some administrative facer.
The effective handling of public complaints has resulted in a cumulative financial relief of Rs13.842 billion for both plaintiffs and the government; this relief included the recovery of 29,363 kanals of state and private lands in various districts in the province valued at Rs9.117 billion. The total financial assistance provided to the plaintiffs amounted to Rs4.725 billion.
The Office of the Ombudsman has also released the list of the top 10 departments against whom this office received the highest number of complaints in 2022. The revenue department had a total of 5,584 complaints, followed by the police with 4,324 complaints, local government & community development with 3,681 complaints, school education with 1,791 complaints, housing, urban development & public health engineering with 1,690 complaints, primary & secondary healthcare with 1,461 complaints, higher education with 983 complaints, communication & works with 959 complaints, accountant general Punjab with 946 complaints, and irrigation with 821 complaints.
In addition, 150 eligible complainants have been provided with regular employment in provincial government departments by this office under Rule 17-A of the Punjab Civil Servants (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1974. Apart from this, the home department carried out the province-wise verification of 1.5 million arms licenses on the intervention of the ombudsman office.
The agency is fully cognisant of children who are one of the most vulnerable segments of society and are facing multifarious hardships because of a lack of basic facilities for leading a safe and healthy childhood. Its Chief Provincial Commissioner for Children resolved 246 cases relating to violation of child rights and violence against them. The OCPCC has been striving to safeguard child rights through advocacy, investigation, mass awareness, etc.
Also, it constituted a working group of experts from line departments to save children from online harassment or exploitation. This group advises the provincial government about the protection of children’s rights.
Meanwhile, there was a 73 percent increase in the number of complaints received in 2022 compared to 2021, with 31,149 new complaints received compared to 17,968 in the previous year. Likewise, the proportion of complaints handled in 2022 was over 70 percent, compared to 2021, where 17,654 complaints were processed.
The ombudsman office also provided Rs13.842 billion in relief to government agencies and applicants in 2022, a significant increase from the Rs.1.452 billion provided in 2021.
The law allows presentations to the governor against the decisions of the ombudsman by individuals or public bodies. In 2022, the governor accepted only 26 of a total of 403 appeals, leaving a ratio of 99.12 percent of decisions remaining in force.
It’s sanguine that out of the 3,80,206 complaints registered from 1996 to 2022, a staggering 99.24 percent were successfully addressed, with 3,77,339 complaints resolved. This exceptional rate of resolving public grievances attests to the effectiveness of the ombudsman’s efforts as the role of the ombudsman office is critical in ensuring good governance, promoting public trust, and discouraging inefficiency and corrupt practices at the grassroots.
It’s noteworthy that five office buildings have also been built in Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Mianwali, Attock and Muzaffargarh in 2022 and land is acquired for eight more district offices in 2023. Alongside this, the ombudsman office has established a research and analysis wing to study and recommend remedies for corrupt practices.
It’s heartening that the ombudsman office has undergone a complete digital transformation, with the implementation of a 24/7 digital helpline 1050 for complaint registration and public guidance.
In 2022, the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab took another initiative for overseas Pakistanis to provide them with ease of information, registration of complaints, track status and accessibility of regional offices working in all the districts of Punjab. They can come in contact with this office 24/7 without any hassle. The IT Infrastructure and Development Wing of this office designed, developed and deployed the user-friendly platform for Overseas Pakistanis Complaint Management Information System where they can register their complaints, track their under-process complaints and have access to such information required for the resolution of their problems. All possible information and assistance are available in Urdu and English on the website and on the OPMIS Mobile Application which can be downloaded free of cost on the Google Play Store and Apple Store.
Digital means of communication like email & WhatsApp etc are also used to come in contact with overseas Pakistanis during the processing of their complaints. Overseas Pakistanis are kept informed through email on each step during the processing of their complaints up till finalization and the final order is also sent to them via email.
The Office of the Ombudsman has shown remarkable progress in ensuring good governance, promoting public trust, and discouraging inefficiency and corrupt practices at the grassroots. With an exceptional rate of resolving public grievances, a complete digital transformation, and the establishment of a research and analysis wing, the office is well-equipped to address complaints from the public and provide timely relief.
It is commendable that the ombudsman office is also taking steps to safeguard the rights of vulnerable groups such as children and overseas Pakistanis. The efforts of the ombudsman and his team are certainly noteworthy and deserve recognition for their outstanding work towards a more transparent and accountable government.
