HYDERABAD, May 5: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, has directed Wapda to deposit a sum of Rs20 million with Deputy District Officer/Land Acquisition Officer (LAO).

According to an SHC order, if the amount as assessed by DDO/LAO is found short of amount so deposited by Wapda, the balance amount shall be deposited by Wapda within such period as may be directed by the DDO.

The order was issued on Saturday after having been passed by a division bench of the court on April 26 on a constitutional petition filed by Pehalwan and 23-other landowners, seeking payment of compensation for the land acquired for the Left Bank Outfall Drain project.

According to their case, in 1996 their fertile lands were acquired for installation of tube-wells project north/central Sanghar surface drainage system.

No compensation was paid to them to date on account of procedural formalities although physical measurement of land was conducted by the director settlement and survey land record, Sindh, through joint measurement team comprising a revenue tapedar, a tapedar of settlement and survey department and a junior engineer of respondents.

The petitioners said the respondents were delaying payment of compensation on the ground of non-issuance of notification under section 6 of LAA, joint final measurement of the land etc. and now payment was pending for the reason that respondents were not depositing the amount with LAO for passing the award.