Government of the Punjab, Finance Department, Deputy Secretary (PC) issued an order regarding entitlement of conveyance allowance during summer and winter vacations in view of a writ petition in the Lahore High Court, Lahore.
- No.FD.PR.21-34/2018. WHEREAS M/s Allah Rakha & two other ESTs filed Writ Petition No.9379/2018 with the prayer that:
- They may be granted conveyance allowance for the summer and winter vacations.
- The respondent No.2 may kindly be directed to decide the pending application mentioned above passed by this Honorable court without any further delay.
- AND WHEREAS the Honorable Lahore High Court, Bahawalpur Bench, Bahawalpur, vide order dates 26.10.2018 has remanded the writ-petition to respondent No.02, i.e., Secretary Finance to treat it as representation and decide the same in accordance with law within the period of 16-days.
- AND WHEREAS the petitions are civil servants and they belong to vacation department i.e, School Educational Department. They are demanding Conveyance Allowance during summer and winter vacations. School Education Department was declared as vacation department vide Civil Service Rules Vol-I Part I & II, Rules 8.60 read with Appendix 18. Accordance to para 1.15(2) of 'Punjab Traveling Allowance Rules (Compendium 2008)’, conveyance allowance falling under Rule 1.14(ii) will be admissible only for the period during which the civil servants held the post to which the conveyance allowance is attached and will not be admissible during leave or joining time.
- AND WHEREAS Conveyance Allowance is a compensation to those employees who spend daily expenditure either to reach office or to go back to home: whereas, he alongwith other teachers do not spend any amount to reach office and vice versa during summer / winter vacation.
- AND WHEREAS Finance Department vide letter dated 18.08.1977 decided that the Conveyance Allowance is not admissible during vacation. However, officer of the vacation department who are required to attend their official duties during vacation (or part thereof) would be entitled to draw Conveyance Allowance for such period during vacation as is certified by the head of institution / department to have been spent on duty. This point was further clarified vide Finance Department's letter dated 03.12.2013. Furthermore, after 18th amendment in the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, the Punjab Provincial Government is not bound to follow the policy of Federal Government / other Provincial Governments.
- AND WHEREAS personal hearing was afforded to the petitioners on 29.11.2018 as per directions of the Honorable Lahore High Court, Lahore dated 26.10.2018. During the hearing, the petitioners reiterated their earlier request as made in the writ petition.
- AND NOW THEREFORE, in light of the policy of Finance Department, the petitioners are not entitled to the benefit as requested in the writ petition. However, they are entitled to conveyance Allowance for the period of vacation when they were required to attend their officials duties subject to provision of certificate from head of institution/department. Therefore, I, Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, Finance Secretary, after hearing the petitioners, perusing the available record and policy circulated, hereby dispose of the application of the petitioners.