April 2, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1427

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PESHAWAR, April 1: Workload on the ombudsman department has decreased since it stopped entertaining public complaints against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) last year.

The central government on March 15 last year stopped the regional offices of the ombudsman department from entertaining complaints against Pesco and the SNGPL. Instead, people were asked to register complaints against Pesco with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority and those against the SNGPL with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.

The decision had reduced workload on the ombudsman zonal office here by about 80 per cent as the people have more grievances against Pesco and the SNGPL than federal government departments, official sources told to Dawn.

On the other hand, the strength of staff of the ombudsman department remained the same, sources said.

“The department has two advisers, retired government officials of grade-21, and five consultants, including four retired grade-20 officers.

They are drawing salaries equal to their former positions and also getting pensions and other facilities from the organisations where they had completed their tenures,” sources added.

The Ombudsman department also had about 40 permanent staff members and 10 temporary employees, working on different positions including assistants, clerks and helpers.