(1.) Present appeal from order has been filed under Sec. 37 of The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, (for short, the Act) challenging the judgment dtd. 18/5/2016 passed by District Judge, Haridwar in Misc. Case No.93 of 2014, whereby the objection filed by the appellants under Sec. 34 of the Act, was rejected and the order dtd. 1/3/2013 passed by Sole Arbitrator in Arbitration Case No.16 of 2007, was upheld.
(2.) The sole Arbitrator was appointed to adjudicate the claim between the appellants/Superintending Engineer, U.P., Irrigation Department, Upper Ganga Canal Modernisation Circle Ist, Haridwar Road, Roorkee and the respondent Lokendra Verma qua payment of dues towards the construction of Stop Log Structure at Km. 29.250 of Parallel Upper Ganga Canal at Roorkee, Haridwar. The date of commencement of work was settled as 8/2/1994 and the entire work was required to be completed upto 7/8/1995. The Arbitration Case No.16/2007 was decided on 1/3/2013 and the appellants were directed to pay to the respondent a sum of Rs.19,77,251.00 within a period of two months, failing which interest @ 18% per annum was to be paid. Against the Award passed by the Arbitrator on 1/3/2013, the appellants preferred Objections u/s 34 of the Act before the District Judge, Haridwar. Learned District Judge, Haridwar, vide judgment dtd. 18/5/2016 rejected the objection of the appellants. Hence, this appeal has been filed by the appellants along with the Delay Condonation Application.
(3.) As per the report of Registry, there is a delay of 1560 days in filing the present appeal. The appellants have stated the reasons for such inordinate delay in paragraphs nos.3 to 17 of the affidavit filed in support of Delay Condonation Application, which are reproduced below:-