President rejects FESCO’s plea denying welfare grant for employee’s mentally-disabled child

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday rejected a representation of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) against its employee, who had been asking for a monthly welfare grant for his mentally-disabled son.

The President termed it a “very irresponsible attitude” on part of the FESCO for delaying the case of the complainant father who had been seeking due rights for his disabled child.

“Instead of trying to solve the issue, the matter is being delayed on this or that pretext, ” the President wrote in his order and stressed that “the society, especially the government agencies must show compassion for deprived segments of society”.

Riaz Hussain, a retired employee of FESCO had applied a number of times to his department for the monthly welfare grant in respect of his mentally-disabled son, which was admissible to him, however no relief was extended to him.

Feeling aggrieved, he approached the Wafaqi Mohtasib that passed the order dated 24.08.2020 stating that “the complainant was advised to provide requisite documents to the Agency for his redressal, moreover, the representative of the Agency informed that the grievance of the complainant would be redressed within 30 days subject to provision of requisite documents”.

Instead of fulfilling its obligation to provide relief to the complainant, FESCO filed a representation with the President assailing the order of the Wafaqi Mohtasib dated 26.11.2020/24.08.2020.

The President, in his decision, pointed out that the “maladministration” of FESCO had been established in view of the Agency’s undertaking to provide relief to the complainant and yet not providing redressal to the complainant.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib also rejected the review petition of FESCO on the grounds that “From the scrutiny of record and discussion with both the parties, it was revealed that the complainant deserve relief as recommended by the concerned medical board, and the doctors of Punjab Government also certified that complainant’s son was suffering since birth”.

The FESCO later filed a representation with the President of Pakistan which he rejected on being “incompetent” and also time-barred.

President Alvi in his written order expressing disappointment over the mishandling of the case said the “burden of the complainant’s mentally-disabled son should have been picked up easily and in a forthright manner”.

He emphasized that it was an overall responsibility of the nation to be sensitive towards the sufferings of weak segments of the society.

“We as a nation become weak ourselves, if we do not care for the weak within our body polity”, he wrote.