THERE is no denying the fact that the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) has been doing great service to the elderly pensioners, myself included, since 1976. Having said that, I wish to point out some serious lacunae in the system. As a case in point, I wish to illustrate my own plight.

Since 1991, my spouse and I, both aged above 75 years, have been bonafide beneficiaries, having reached the stipulated age of superannuation and eligibility for EOBI grants. After the sad demise of my wife in August 2021, I applied for her monthly share.

Accordingly, my request was granted, and I received the said benefit till May 2022 without any hitch. However, the facility was abruptly discontinued at that point without any information to me, verbal or written. Surprisingly, the EOBI was, and has remained, silent on the matter.

Having waited for more than six months, up to November 2022, I approached the EOBI Karachi office located at Awami Markaz with the complaint. The official concerned showed me an office memorandum dated April 15, 2022, which mentioned that “an insured person shall not be paid for the same period more than one of the [benefits] provided for this Act {clause 28 (1)}”.

In other words, the bottom line is that both the relevant ministry and the EOBI central office in Islamabad were sleeping over the matter for the last six months. It was EOBI Karachi’s duty to inform the beneficiaries forthwith. This is a serious matter of official negligence and is inexcusable.

The authorities concerned should look into the matter rather urgently as it has serious financial implications on the lives of thousands of needy, impoverished and downtrodden elders across the land.

Azeez Masood
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2022