More than 50 complaints, mostly related to alleged over-billing and unfair deductions by Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO), were redressed at an open court held by the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat in Khairpur, resulting in financial relief of over Rs. 1.7 million to the citizens of Khairpur.
The public awareness session and open court, held on Tuesday at the local SEPCO office, was organized by the Ombudsman’s regional office in Sukkur on the directive of the head of the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat, Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi.
Associate Advisor of the Sukkur Regional Office, Dr. Abdul Wahid Indhar, confirmed that the complaints pertained to various federal departments. Besides SEPCO, complaints were also filed against the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Motorway Police, Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).
Other entities under scrutiny included Utility Stores, Sui Gas, Shah Abdul Latif University, Radio Pakistan, Pakistan Engineering Council, and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. Senior officials from SEPCO and other concerned departments were present to resolve these matters directly.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Indhar explained that complaints against entities like SEPCO and NADRA are acted upon promptly to provide immediate relief to the affected individuals. He mentioned that in cases involving government officials, recommendations are sent to the head office in Islamabad to initiate legal action.
He added that the purpose of holding open courts in various district cities like Khairpur is to improve public access to justice. This initiative saves citizens the trouble of traveling to the regional office in Sukkur, ensuring that redressal and relief are provided within their own communities.