Deadline set: Ombudsman wants pension cases cleared

Departments directed to clear all cases within 30 days

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Ombudsman has directed all government departments to settle their pensioners’ pending cases within 30 days and submit a detailed report.

The direction was issued by Federal Ombudsman Salman Faruqui during a meeting on the issues being faced by pensioners across the country on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by representatives from 67 ministries and they were directed to submit their complete pension cases in the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) office within 30 days. “Process of all pensioners must be completed before six months of retirement date so that they do not face problems,” he added. He also directed the AGPR to hold regular monthly meetings with focal persons of all ministries with intimation to the Ombudsman.

Faruqui said that a person who gives their whole life to a department should be shown respect and their pension should not be delayed.

He further highlighted the need for having an external oversight committee to address the frivolous objections raised by the AGPR resulting in the delay of pensions and asked the AGPR finance and establishment divisions to submit their suggestions in this regard.

The Ombudsman said that there was a need to introduce an automation system which should interconnect all departments for sharing pensioner records highlighting that low paid pensioners were suffering the most and there was an urgent need to cater to their problems.

Faruqui also referred to a depressing incident of a Railways pensioner who died while he was standing in a long queue at a bank. He said that the incident had left an indelible impression on his mind.

While briefing the meeting AGPR Hafiz Muhammad Tahir stated that several reforms have been initiated for tackling pension cases. He further said that a capacity building program has been initiated in all departments to improve the employees’ skills for preparing pension cases.  He assured the committee that the AGPR was settling pension cases within 30 days wherever there were no gaps in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2016.