Workers Welfare Fund Case: SC orders payment of dues to workers by Jan 17

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the federal government to complete all outstanding payments by January 17 in the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) case, ARY News reported.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Shaikh Azmat Saeed ordered payments of all outstanding death grants, marriage grants and scholarships to the families and children of the labourers.

The bench heard the case moved by Chuadhry Abdur Rehman, a representative of industrial workers.

The court observed that the amount of the fund has been determined at Rs. 124 bln and warned that the matter will be sent to the NAB in case of any misappropriation in funds.

During the case proceedings, Justice Saeed expressed displeasure on the performance of government departments. He said the court would be able to decide its course of action after examining the government’s reply.

The court while seeking the reply from the government within one week adjourned the hearing for the period.

In an earlier hearing, the bench had expressed its dissatisfaction over the blame game between the Finance Division and the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF).

The fund managed by the federal government was established under Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance, 1971 for providing low cost housing and other amenities to the industrial labour.

The hearing pertaining to the funding of the WWF, the apex court had observed that nobody seemed to know who possessed the Rs124 billion funds.

The finance division and the WWF claiming different versions, one side says, the funds are with the WWF, which says the money is with the finance division, the bench had remarked.