LAHORE: The Office of the Punjab Ombudsman has successfully acted as a mediator between provincial government departments and 23 complainants from various districts, resulting in a cumulative financial relief of Rs64 million.
These complainants had raised concerns about unresolved employment-related issues, encompassing pension provision, payment of employment dues, and creation of OSD posts within provincial government departments.
In a statement on Sunday, a spokesman for the office announced noteworthy progress achieved by the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab in effectively addressing pressing issues faced by individuals.
Notably, the office successfully resolved the longstanding matter of family pension for Shaheena, a widowed woman residing in a secluded village within the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Shaheena, who observes purdah, has now received her remaining pension dues of Rs182,695, disbursed by the district accounts office Sargodha.
Furthermore, Najma Mazhar, the plaintiff from Mandi Bahauddin, has been duly compensated for her deceased husband’s employment dues through the intervention of the ombudsman’s office.
Additionally, her daughter, Mehreen Saba, has also been appointed as a junior clerk in a government department in grade 11, in adherence to Rule 17-A of the Punjab Civil Servants (Appointment & Conditions of Service) Rules, 1974, the spokesman said.
Moreover, the spokesman emphasized the commendable efforts undertaken by various district administrations in response to public complaints received by the ombudsman’s office. These administrations have successfully reclaimed over 40 kanals of state lands in their areas, valued at Rs19 million, to reopen public thoroughfares and roads, thereby enhancing accessibility for locals and safeguarding government lands.
In a separate case, the ombudsman’s office facilitated the retrieval of 2 kanals and a corresponding area of marlas owned by Mr Muhammad Ramzan in Rawalpindi. The market value of the reclaimed land is estimated to be Rs4.2 million.
Expressing their appreciation, the beneficiaries have conveyed their gratitude to the ombudsman’s office for providing them with legal relief and a resolution to their grievances, said the spokesman.
