150,000 railway pensioners still await payment

LAHORE:

Around 150,000 Railways pensioners from across the country have not been able to receive their payments yet and several serving employees still have not been given their general provident (GP) funds for months.

Retired officers and employees of Railways belonging to eight divisions across the country – from Grade 1 to 21 – are facing severe difficulties due to non-receipt of pension money.

These divisions include Multan, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Sukkur and Rawalpindi.

Widows and other pensioners have grown tired of visiting the office every day and the administration is not doing anything for them except give them assurances.

The pensioners have become a shuttlecock between the Railways Accounts Department and banks.

When they visit the banks, they are told that their pensions have not been transferred by the Railways. However, when they visit the Railways Accounts Department, they are given a new excuse.

On the other hand, many serving workers have not received their GP funds for months despite the fact that the tax for this purpose was being deducted from their salaries.

The pensioners and employees have announced a protest outside the Railways headquarters on March 15.

Railway officials said that there was a huge financial burden on their department.

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They added that the government should take the responsibility of giving money to these pensioners. The officials further said the move would not only give relief to the pensioners, but also reduce the financial burden on the department.

However, they claimed that they were trying their best to acquire pension money as soon as possible and the problem would be solved soon next week.

Railways CEO Zafar Zaman Ranjha told The Express Triune that he had written a letter to the federal finance minister to give monthly pension to former workers of the department like other civil servants.

“I have informed him that the Railways department is not in a financial condition to pay its pensioners,” he added.

He maintained that a committee comprising the finance ministry, Railway officials and its accounts department will find a permanent solution to the 38 million pensioners of the department.

Speaking on other matters, the Railways CEO said the employees who mistreat passengers would be sacked.

“We are working day and night to provide maximum facilities to the passengers, particularly the business community.”

He claimed that the safety and punctuality of trains were among the department’s priorities. “We will not compromise on them while closed trains will be restored in phases.”

The Railways CEO said an operation was under way against the land mafia.

“We will recover all lands belonging to us and won’t allow anyone to occupy them.”