NIHCR Pensioners Not Paid Pending Dues, Courtesy HEC
ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR) has been deplorably facing financial crunch created by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the last over five years at the one pretext or the other.
The NIHCR authorities have repeatedly brought the matter of financial constraints in the knowledge of the HEC high-ups, Ministry of Education and Professional Training and the Vice Chancellor Quaid-i-Azam University to help out NIHCR financially once for all but to no avail. Ironically, due to apathy of all these stakeholders, pensionary benefits, salary and the allowances of the NIHCR staff and pensioners are accumulating since fiscal 2019-20.
Due to indifference of the HEC authorities, those retiring from service too are not getting their retirement benefits. The NIHCR has yet to pay pension and gratuity to its at least four retired staffers which has not been paid for the last four years whereas five employees are going to retire in 2025, who are becoming psycho by every passing day owing to the treatment being meted out to the already retired employees by the NIHCR authorities due to prevailing financial health.
The situation has worsened to the extent that the HEC deliberately releases funds late to the NIHCR due to which NIHCR staff and pensioners are paid salaries and pensions after every two months’ time. Thus, the staff is forced to borrow money from relatives; take their daily needs goods on credit and even arrange money for those among them who are more desperate, to make both ends meet.
Presently, the NIHCR has yet to pay to its staff and pensioners:
House Rent Ceiling since July 2021 at the pretext that the Higher Education Commission had not released funds to the NIHCR.
Hard hit are the NIHCR pensioners who have not so far been paid their house rent ceilings since July 2021, gratuity and leave encashment in toto. The NIHCR authorities hold HEC responsible for not releasing required funds to clear the pensioners once for all. According to my well-placed sources in the NIHCR, at least five pensioners are waiting for payment of their pending pensionary dues and house rent ceilings.
Grant of 15 percent Adhoc Relief announced in the Budget 2024-25 to its pensioners for non-release of funds by the HEC.
Implementation of the Special Dispensation for the Civil Servants in the Federal Government for the Employees in BPS-01 to BPS-16 effective 01-01-2023 for want of funds from the HEC.
Grant of 35 percent and 25 percent Adhoc Relief announced in the Budget 2023-24 to its staff and officers, respectively.
Likewise, the Institute failed to pay 25 percent and 15 percent Adhoc Relief announced in the Budget 2024-25 to its staff and officers, respectively, besides payment of medical allowance and medical reimbursement to its staff for lack of funds.
The financial burden would continue to increase if required funds are not provided in time. There is a dire need to improve the financial health of the NIHCR. It is feared that coming months could be even worse if immediate steps were not taken to improve the funds flow to the NIHCR.
All the stakeholders—HEC, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and the QAU VC—must take cognizance of the prevailing financial situation in getting rid the NIHCR of the financial backlog.
