‘Dedicated desk for retiring officials’

‘One-window service’ will assist retiring police officials and those seeking ACRs

LAHORE: A front desk offering a ‘one-window service’ for retiring police officials will be established at the Amaal Nama Branch, stated DIG Operations Haider Ashraf on Wednesday.

A dedicated and well-trained staff will by employed at the desk. It will also be equipped with the latest equipment and facilities, he said.

The desk will assist retiring police officials, including those seeking their ACRs, a necessary stipulation for getting their documents approved, Ashraf added.

The ‘one-window service’ implies that applicants will submit their documents at one window and receive them from the same window after the procedure has been completed, he stated. Earlier, retiring officials had to manually take files to different branches for approval, which consumed a lot of time.

Sometimes, officials had to wait several months for their pensions due to the delay in the documentation process. Furthermore, due to the delay in signing the ACR, their promotions were often delayed. This not only caused them financial stress but also mental stress, Ashraf expressed.

This causes a lot of frustration for somebody who has served the department for so long. The delay in the documentation process left a lot of room for exploitation, which is why we hope that this initiative will promote transparency, said Ashraf. Establishing this desk is our way of honouring them for their service, he added.

Such desks were established in different police stations across Lahore over two years ago, he informed. Not only have they showed results in dealing with people but they have also worked in maintaining and digitalising records. Implementing this initiative at the Amaal Nama Branch will serve both purposes, he expressed.

In the previous month, Ashraf issued a standing order for presenting a guard of honour to retiring police officials. He also ordered that they be escorted to their homes by a police protocol. Ashraf stated that these steps were a part of his project to improve the welfare of the force.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2018.