LAHORE, Feb 20: Punjab Ombudsman Justice Sajjad Ahmad Sipra (retired) has directed the education department to issue a notification of the retirement of a deceased school headmaster and give family pension benefits to his widow within a period of two months under the intimation to his office.

The ombudsman issued a directive to this effect while deciding a complaint filed by Ms Hafeez Saeed, the widow of Chaudhry Saeed Ahmad in which she stated that her deceased husband was an English teacher in a private institution which was nationalized in 1972. Her husband, she said, was promoted and posted as the headmaster at the Government Hamid Ali Memorial High School, Gujranwala, on Aug 3, 1985.

The complainant alleged that under the political influence the joining report of her husband was cancelled by the Gujranwala DEO on Aug 19, 1985. She said that her husband approached the Punjab DPI for further adjustment but no action was taken till he reached the age of superannuation on April 18, 1992.

She stated that her late husband made repeated requests for the settlement of his pension case but in vain and ultimately he died on Nov 5, 1996.

The complainant requested the provincial ombudsman that the education department be directed to issue a retirement notification of her husband and sanction the pension, gratuity and GP fund in her favour.

The education department, in response to query, reported that en bloc promotion was made of the nationalized staff by the Punjab DPI on Aug 1, 1985, including the complainant’s husband without scrutinizing their record. Subsequently when it was detected that the complainant’s husband was on unauthorized leave with effect from Sept 3, 1979 to Sept 1, 1984, his promotion notification was withdrawn on Aug 18, 1985.

The ombudsman observed in his order that the deceased was entitled to benefits of his continuous service from June 6, 1954, to Sept 9, 1979, viz 25 years, two months and 26 days. The representatives of the agency had not been able to rebut this factual and legal position, he observed.

He said that the notification of his retirement be made and the complainant be given all the benefits of pension with two months positively.