Deceased employees: Sindh Ombudsman takes exception to inordinate delay in release of pension

KARACHI: The Ombudsman for Sindh Ajaz Ali Khan Friday taken exception to inordinate delay in release of family pensions to the legal heirs of Sindh government’s deceased employees. In a statement issued by the secretariat of provincial ombudsman here, the office of Accountant General Sindh has been suggested to review procedures entailed in grant of family pension to the legal heirs of deceased employees of the provincial government.

The suggestion was made on the basis of a case handled by the office involving a seventy-year-old lady Saban Bibi, who had filed a complaint on June 08, 2015 alleging delay in release of family pension in respect of his unmarried brother, passing away in October 2013.

Ombudsman was mentioned to had taken up the matter with the office of AG Sindh yet it took the latter no less than three years to locate the relevant pension papers while a long list of pre-requisites to be full filled by the complainant was also forwarded to the 70-year-old woman.

According to ombudsman office, compliance was made by the lady not once but twice including her personal appearance before the Accounts Officer (Pension), also a mandatory condition, yet the procedure was so cumbersome that it took her no less than two years to complete all the formalities.

Finally, with constant persuasion and concerted efforts on part of the Sindh Ombudsman, she was able to get monthly pension along with all consequential dues in January this year only that is after a passage of no less than five years.

Considering the plight of may of the genuine claimants it was observed that the entire procedure for grant of family pension to these heirs needed to be reviewed.