NAWABSHAH, Nov 15: The objective of setting up the office of the provincial ombudsman is to provide a palce where aggrieved parties having complaints about maladministration in the province can get their grievances redressed.

This was stated by Yousuf Jamal, Ombudsman Sindh, while inaugurating the regional office of provincial Ombudsman, Nawabshah, at the circuit house here on Tuesday.

He said that a total number of 102,406 applications were received since 1992 out of which 25,813 were admitted and 108 complaints were resolved on telephone, 21,644 were disposed of and total of 15,800 complainants got relief.

He said that it was a very good percentage and added that nine offices of ombudsman including four new regional offices would be working in Sindh by June 2006.

He said that reports of malpractices in Sindh Textbook Board and Karachi Building Control Authority were reported to Governor Sindh and action was taken against corrupt officials. He further said that there was a lot of corruption in education, irrigation and health departments and it would take time to eliminate it.

He said that easy access to justice was essential and the Asian Development Bank was committed to help regarding funds in superior judiciary, police, prisons and ombudsman.

He said that Nawabshah was the fourth largest city of Sindh with an estimated population of 1.2 million and regional office ombudsman Sindh was set up here to provide maximum relief to the public.

He said that Naushahro Feroze was also an important district and announced that sub-regional office in Naushahro Feroze would also be established, which would start functioning in a month and would work under the Regional office, Nawabshah.

He said that according to a retired chief justice of Supreme Court, more than 15,000 cases were pending in Supreme Court and situation in high and lower courts would be in thousands but applications would be entertained and verdict or relief would be provided at Ombudsman office within two months and would also reduce pressure on the courts. Condemning bomb blasts in Karachi, he informed that discretionary grant of ombudsman Sindh and half salaries of all staff were donated in the earthquake relief fund to the affectees.

The ombudsman Sindh urged the participants including notables, NGOs and media to arrange seminars against social malpractice like Karo-Kari, child labour and other evils.

The participants offered fateha for the victims and affectees of earthquake which jolted Kashmir and NWFP on October 8.

The ombudsman Sindh accompanied by Syed Ameer Ali Shah, director general, coordination and administration, Sindh ombudsman secretariat, Ghulam Rabbani Agro, Regional director, ombudsman Sindh, Nawabshah and others inaugurated the regional office.