RAWALPINDI, June 24: The Punbjab government will appoint district ombudsmen shortly and a new set up be put in place in this connection, a district government source said here on Monday.

Ombudsmen will be appointed in all the districts of the province to redress citizens’ complaints against the maladministration by the public servants in the local government system.

“The objective behind appointing the ombudsmen at the district level is to help solve the problems of the common man in his the area where he lives and safeguard their interests,” the source said.

They said the government would appoint people having studied law as district ombudsmen for a period of four years. Their appointment would be made by a committee comprising a judge of Lahore High Court, a member of Punjab Public Service Commission and the provincial ombudsman himself.

The appointments will be notified through the district council. The staff of the ombudsman’s office will deemed to be public servants.

The district ombudsman would have the same powers as are vested in a civil court in respect of summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath; compelling the production of documents; receiving evidence, affidavits and constituting commission for examining witnesses.

The public servants serving other departments in the local government will be bound to aid the district ombudsman in the exercise of his duties.

The sources said the district government would have to provide budgetary allocation for the office of the ombudsman.