Punjab Ombudsman Javed Mehmood has declined to entertain contractors' applications for payment of their outstanding dues unless they had exhausted all other forums available to them. An official spokesman said on Wednesday that Ombudsman had taken notice that contractors are approaching the Ombudsman Secretariat and its regional offices for payment of development works instead of concerned departments.
He directed the contractors to follow their agreements in case of non-payment and firstly approach all forums in the concerned departments for remedy. He said it is also legal and moral obligation of every contractor that he should first contact the concerned department for payment with which he has made a written agreement. He assured that if the matters of payment are not solved despite fulfilling all legal formalities, the Ombudsman Office will play its role in this regard.
Ombudsman Punjab has directed Secretary Ombudsman Secretariat Umar Rasool to revisit all applications submitted by contractors for payment and stop further action on those applications, which had been filed without approaching concerned departments according to the terms and conditions of the contract and applicants should be directed to first approach the concerned departments according to legal requirements.