RMC funds shortage barring christian workers to celebrate Christmas

Rawalpindi : While the Christmas is very near, however, the management has reportedly no funds in the budget to pay pensions to the retired Christian employees which could certainly mar their celebrations on this august occasion.

The representatives of Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Pensioners Action Committee including Chairman, Ghulam Mohammad Naz and President, Tahir Mahmood Khan have voiced concern over the non payment of pensions to the retired employees of Christian community.

Talking to this correspondent, the committee representatives said that it was the obligation of the management to arrange funds for paying to the Christian retired employees to celebrate Christmas. However, nothing done in this regard and the management of Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation remained totally indifferent.

Never in the past the retired employees of Christmas have remained deprived of pensions during their religious festival. However, this year on the excuse of lack of funds, no pension is being paid to this community employees who are passing a retired life.

Ghulam M. Naz and Tahir Mahmood have drawn the matter into the notice of the Secretary, local government, Punjab to take notice and direct the concerned officials in Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and Revenue department for taking rapid steps for paying pensions to Christian retired employees thus enabling them to celebrate Christmas with their religious fervour.

They demanded that annual funds be allocated in Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation budget for payment of pensions to the retired employees of Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation without any delay and problem. Over the last 18 months and more the problem of pension payments to retired employees have been occurring, however, the concerned authorities both in provincial government as well as Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation have still not devised any effective and appropriate method to pay pensions to retired employees on time. Pension is the right of retired employee, however, over the last 18 months they are forced to adopt begging stance before getting payments. This is totally injustice with the retired employees. An effective policy be devised to ease the way of payment of pensions to retired employees of Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation .

The members of Action Committee also demanded off the Punjab government to hold audit on the spending of millions of funds on projects by Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation over the last 10 years as to ascertain where money has been looted and plundered. When audit process would begin and be completed many big fish related with Tehsil Mmunicipal Administration would be trapped into the net for minting funds in the name of project and their cases be referred to National Accountability Bureau for further action, the committee members demanded.