34 complainants get dues

LAHORE: Due to the efforts of the Punjab Ombudsman, pending dues of Rs25,589,415 were paid to 34 complainants.

On the orders of the Ombudsman Azam Suleman Khan, Municipal Corporation, Punjab District Account Officer, Secretary Market Committee, Chief Executive Officer District Health Authority, District Education Authority, Labor Welfare Rawalpindi, Department of Buildings, Government Teaching Hospital Shahdara, Communication End Works and Punjab Government Welfare Fund Board have provided legal relief to 34 complainants belonging to different districts.

These cases were pending due to various reasons. The cases provided relief to the families of government employees by the office of the ombudsman include payment of arrears of family grant of employees, pension dues, arrears of monthly assistance from Welfare Fund Board. The citizens belonging to different districts are grateful to Ombudsman Major Azam Suleman for taking an effective role in resolving their grievances.

Meanwhile, the office of the Ombudsman Punjab, led by Provincial Ombudsman Maj (r) Azam Suleman Khan, resolved 35,202 public complaints in 2023.

In a statement issued here Monday, the spokesman stated that effective interventions made by the provincial ombudsman had resulted in over Rs22.5 billion in relief for complainants and the government. This included land recovery worth Rs15.8 billion and Rs6.7 billion in direct financial compensation to the plaintiffs, he added.

While giving details, the spokesman reported that the highest complaint volumes targeted police were 7,212, local government 5,980, primary and secondary health 2,531, SED 1,961, districts administration 1,563 and revenue department 5,678, indicating areas requiring improvement in governance.

Additionally, a round the clock helpline 1050, a bilingual mobile app and a website streamline complaint registration and tracking, even for overseas Pakistanis, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, 119 individuals secured government jobs through the ombudsman's intervention in 2023 under Rule 17-A of the Punjab Civil Servants (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1974.

During the four-year tenure (2020-23) of Ombudsman Maj (r) Azam Suleman Khan, total number of complaints received remained at 96,401, out of which, 94,643 were disposed of with a disposal rate of 98%.

Also, 475 complainants got employment under Rule 17-A on the directions of the ombudsman office, the spokesman mentioned. The ombudsman office maintained a remarkable 99.32% resolution rate for cases handled from 1996 till 2023.