08-22-2006, 12:23 AM
Since many years every April I celebrate by writing letters to Editor never, `however, to find any space the annual anniversary of my of my Rs. 50/- pure Rizq-e-Hilal pick pocketed in 1994. This April however due to my major eye operation and its consequential so far non recovery I could not do this ritual hence this delayed one.
In line with the educated people I also trust on electronic gadgets eg the calculators. We blindly believe on electronic cash registers hence hardly we make a counter check. After purchases from utility stores I never checked the cash memos. The only checking I used to make and satisfied myself was that the amount shown on the screen tallied with the cash memo figure and the actual amount charged. And that is all. One day in 1994 I do not know why sitting idle having nothing to do I started reading the cash memo as a general reading material. Something unusual struck my mind and I started minutely reading the cash memo. I found to my great shock that quantities were all OK, unit price was all OK, total cost of items was all OK but very strangely the Grand Total of sub-totals was wrong. The Grand Total showed Rs. 50 in excess. I did not believe this because I knew when electronic calculators mal function they produce figures different in 4/5/6 digests and not in small one digit or two digits. It was in my eyes a "Karagaree". I immediately within 30 minutes of purchases rushed back to the utility stores which refused to refund me Rs. 50 excessively taken. I addressed the Managing Director of Utility Stores Head Office in Islamabad twice but got no response.
I then approached the Federal Ombudsman with the request that (i) matter be probed not through Utility Stores but through any other agency to know the real depth of the matter (ii) at how many places and since when this was going on (iii) why illegal extra charged cannot be refunded and that (iv) this matter be dealt with in the larger interest of the community because how many had suffered and how many in ignorance were suffering, if any, no body could say. I attached with my complaint copy of the cash memo nakedly showing sub-totals all OK but Grand Total in excess by Rs. 50/-.
The Ombudsman Pakistan accepted it for processing and forwarded it to the USC Head Office which as usual replied no complaint from this complainant was ever directly received. Peoples complaint letters hardly ever reach the government departments generally!!! In return I sent copies of my letters addressed to USC Head Office both to Ombudsman as well to USC Head Office. With that I also attached copies of Certificates of Posting from Pakistan Post Office under which I had early directly addressed the USC Head Office. While I was awaiting progress and counter comments of Utility Stores, I could not believe came the Order/Finding of the Ombudsman saying "it is not for this secretariat to probe into a complaint of general nature. However a copy of complaint with this Order is forwarded to Industries Division to take necessary measure".
A naked excessive charging of Rs. 50/- under a very novel modus ope***** is a complaint of "general nature"!!! I could not believe it. Is taking Rs. 50/- under a novel style which not every one can detect not an act of mal administration in the eyes of ombudsman of the country or does it not amount to cheating? Is non refund of illegally extra charged not an offence in an Islamic republic? Over-charging namely higher prices than prevailing in the market is something different but charging extra illegal under a cheating way is totally a different matter which is and should be high alarming. How the protector of citizens rights can remain silent treating it as a complaint of general nature completely forgetting how many and at how many places might be daily becoming victims to this modus ope***** without their own knowledge because those people never thought of doing at home multiplication or grand totaling as society most sees price per unit, quantity and grand total.
Seeing that the Ombudsman of the country had not taken any interest why should had Industries Division?, As such right from 1994 Order of Ombudsman till this 2006 Industries Division never ever informed or contacted me even after my reminders over reminders let alone respecting the ombudsman order it should had at its own contacted me without my reminder.
My Rs. 50/- are still stuck up. As our religion says struggle for your rights as keeping silent on an injustice in itself is a crime I once again approached the ombudsman informing his office that the Industries Division had take no action. Reply from the Ombudsman Office was "we have already explained you the position".
My Rs. 50 hard earned 100% Rizq-e-Hilal are still held up. For 17 years I worked as an Officer, starting my career from the most lucrative income tax department, which department foolishly I left in search of Rizq-e-Hilal and now in this retired age I am still shelter-less having no roof for old age. I can not forget my Rs. 50/- Rizq-e-Hilal. I never leave my struggle. To date I have spent more than a Rs. 2,000 in my struggle. In 2000 I tore off most of my record of my this complaint as since then I have the matter on My ALLAH.
While ever April I write this at the same time I also read some interesting pressing clippings I had kept just for my enjoyment. One is a news item that both Federal Industries Division and Utility Stores Corporation were non co-operating in connection with investigation of Rs. 5,500,000 misappropriation said the Chairman Sub Committee of Public Accounts Committee in the Parliament (Daily Nawai-e-Waqat 25 April 1999). Why should an honest man or any honest organization should resist an investigation if they are not afraid of from anything or are not in fear of some revelation? Corrupt officers are being protected by Utility Stores complains Public Accounts Committee to the prime minister (Nawai-e-Waqt 13/2/1998). "How many times have you actually read contents of receipt that cashier of your local utility stores hands over" questions a conscientious reader through The Daily News Karachi of 27.9.1994.
I want to put it on record that I have not left totally matter of my right. I have only and only now left it on ALLAH with an intention to file a petition on Day of Judgment before ALLAH THE GREAT against all those who are connected with this matter may that be Utility Stores cashier concerned or its Managing Director or Ombudsman Secretariat a Industries Division and I will catch the collars on Day of Judgement.