SANGHAR, April 11: Recently retired government employees have resented the attitude of the district treasury officer and the accountant general, Sindh, for non-payment of their pensions, GP fund, and other dues for which they were entitled after retirement.

They had been running from pillar to post, some of them since the last 30 months, to get their retirement benefits but in vain.

They alleged that corruption was rampant in the accountant general’s office and the district treasury office, and added that these offices were being run by “a commission mafia”. Their files were thrown away on one pretext or another on flimsy grounds and it could only be moved if a commission of 10 to 15 per cent was paid. The situation aggravated more due to devolution of power.

According to plan, the accountant general offices were shifted to the district headquarters to give relief to the people at their doorsteps. But the “commission mafia” took advantage of it and made the retired government servants run from one office to another, from the district treasury office to the accountant general’s office, Karachi.

Mohammed Din, retired headmaster, Primary School and Elementary College, Sanghar, had been striving for the last 30 months to get his pension, gratuity, general provident fund (GP fund) and other dues but in vain.

Another retired elementary college teacher, A. Warayo Behan said that a government servant was supposed to be given a 180-day pay all at once to meet his immediate needs on retirement but it was delayed on one pretext or another.

He alleged that retired employees were fleeced by the staff of the accountant general’s office while computing their GP fund dues without bothering about the provincial ombudsman’s orders. He further alleged that the local district treasury officer refused to pay it on the pretext of non-availability of funds.

The retired government employees have appealed to President Pervez Musharraf to look into the matter and redress their grievances.

COMMUTERS STRANDED: Hundreds of commuters were stranded for hours at Tando Adam, Shahdadpur, Sinjhoro, Jhol, Khadro, Shahpur Chakar, and Khipro when several government agencies including the police impounded dozens of pickups, wagons, trucks and buses and took them to various police stations on Thursday.