LAHORE, Aug 27: The Punjab Ombudsman has directed the Lahore city district government authorities to withdraw premature retirement orders against a sanitary worker.

Justice Sajjad Ahmad Sipra (retired) also directed the authorities concerned to treat Hayat Masih as on duty till his death in February this year and pay within four months all his benefits, including salaries and pension, to his widow and children.

The Ombudsman also warned the authorities that any departure from this order would be taken as a contempt and the delinquent would be proceeded against under the contempt of court act.

The directions were issued on a complaint lodged by Hayat Masih’s widow Bashiran.

According to details, Hayat Masih had joined the service on March 17, 1976. He was then 24 years old in view of the medical certificate duly issued by the competent authority wherein his year of birth was incorporated as 1952.

The same should have been entered in his service book but with mala fide intention the official concerned entered therein the year of Hayat Masih’s birth as 1932.

Hayat’s widow said in the complaint that because of the wrong entry her husband was retired on March 18, 1992, erroneously, whereas he could serve till the year 2012 in view of his date of birth, March 19, 1952, as assessed by the medical officer and incorporated in the medical certificate on the basis of which he was employed as a sanitary worker in the MCL.

The complainant said that her husband made representations before the higher authorities who appointed the chief officer of the then MCL as inquiry officer to probe into the matter.

The inquiry officer held that Hayat Masih (who died on Feb 18, 2002) was retired premature as his actual date of birth was March 19, 1952 and not March 19, 1932.

The inquiry officer’s recommendations for his reinstatement and allowing him to continue in service till the year 2012 were however not complied with by the MCL authorities concerned, the complainant stated.