HYDERABAD, Jan 22: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad, on Thursday issued a contempt of court notice to irrigation secretary Bashir Ahmad Dahar in a land acquisition matter.

The notice was issued after Sindh additional advocate general Masood A. Noorani produced a letter of Sindh advocate general Anwar Mansoor Khan which was addressed to the secretary for irrigation, asking him for the payment for lands of petitioners.

The matter related to acquisition of land of petitioners Ayaz and four others by the irrigation department. The petition had been filed in 2001. One of the petitioners, Mohammad Juman, filed a contempt of court application in the matter, stating therein that his land was obtained in 1995 for the Rohri Canal new irrigation channel. He said he was paid Rs37,500 for standing crops by the respondent but the payment for the land was yet to be made.

He said on March 13, 2001, the court directed the respondent executive engineer to make payment to him in three months and in another order, the court said a proper award should be passed in six months.

He said on Sept 4, 2002, the land acquisition officer submitted before the court that irrigation authorities had not deposited the amount of award which caused delay in passing of a declaration under the Land Acquisition Act.

The petitioner referred to an order passed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Maqbool Baqar on Sept 17, 2002, directing the LAO, secretary for irrigation, and the additional chief secretary, planning and development, to make arrangements for the payment of compensation in one month failing which they had to personally appear before the court to explain the delay on their part.

The court had directed the finance secretary to release the amount after it was sanctioned by the planning and development department. In his contempt of court application, Mr Juman cited Ghulam Sarwar Khero, additional chief secretary, planning and development, Malik Israr Ahmad, finance secretary, Bashir Ahmad Dahar, irrigation secretary, Ghulam Nabi Mughal, chief engineer Rohri Canal circle, and Faiz Mohammad Memon, executive engineer, as respondents.