A notification has been issued on 18-05-2022 in connection with Payment of Benevolent Fund Grant to ESTs and other Categories by Govt.of Punjab.Further detail of said notification in same is as under;
Payment of Benevolent Fund Grant to ESTs and other Categories | Punjab 2022
Please refer to this office earlier letter of even number dated — 29.12.2021 on the subject cited above.
2.In order to seek legal opinion on account of assailing the orders of the Hon’ble Governor Punjab by filing the writ petition in the matter, Law Department, vide letter dated 29.03.2022 was approached. The Law Department advised as under:
“The matter has been examined in the Law & Parliamentary Affairs Department. It is admitted fact that the Elementary School Teachers having BS-16 (Personal) are drawing pay and allowances to the tune of the said scale. Furthermore, the employees are contributing to the Benevolent Fund as per rate fixed for BS-16.
Finance Department in its letter dated 31.01.2020 has clearly mentioned that Government Servants, drawing their pay and allowances in BS-1 to 15 are “Officals and those who are drawing their pay and allowances in BS-16 and above are “Officers” irrespective i the mode of their grant of respective pay scale. Even otherwise, the grants of Benevolent Fund are to be paid to the Government Servants and not the posts. In view of the aforementioned, the orders of Ombudsman Punjab upheld by the Governor Punjab, regarding provision of scholarship and other grants to Elementary School Teacher by treating them Officers / Gazetted Servants, are unexceptionable, therefore, the same may not be assailed by filing writ petitions, before the Honorable Lahore High Court, Lahore, since any such exercise is not likely to bear fruit”.
4. In view of the above, I have been directed to convey that the cases of EST’s who have been granted 135-16 (Personal) shall be dealt with J processed by the PGSBF. Threfore, it is requested that such cases (complete in all respect) may be sent / returned to PGSBF for further necessary action.