MANSEHRA, May 24: The NWFP government on the intervention of the World Bank has acquired 112 kanals in Oghi for distribution among the people displaced by the Tarbela Dam project, it is reliably learnt.
Sources said that 225 plots have been carved in the land acquired under sections 4/5 of the Land Acquisition Act.
About 90,000 families were displaced at the time of construction of Tarbela Dam, of whom 1,300 could not be compensated so far.
It could, however, not be confirmed as to how many families from among them would be compensated from the land acquired in Oghi.
It is learnt that the land has been acquired under the pressure of the World Bank as the WB authorities had made the grant for the Ghazi Barotha project conditional to complete rehabilitation of those displaced by the Tarbela Dam project.
Sources said that under the pressure of the World Bank, the federal government had directed the government of the NWFP and the Water and Power Development Authority to settle the issue forthwith. Wapda paid Rs900,000 to the provincial government for acquiring the land in Oghi.
It is learnt that the federal government has also directed the governments of Sindh and Punjab to fulfil their obligations regarding the rehabilitation of the affected families the Tarbela Dam project.