Development works including languishing projects and repair of roads have come to halt as the state government has failed to release unpaid payment of contractors amounting to Rs 1,050 crore.
Normally in April the work on development projects used to beon full swing as the Kashmir witnesses slump in construction activities duringwinter months due to low temperatures. However this year situation is totallydifferent as the work on all the important projects have come to halt followingthe boycott call given by joint coordination committee of contractors who areseeking release of their bills amounting to Rs 1050 crore.
Interestingly the Jammu and Kashmir government hasestablished JK Infrastructure Development Financial Corporation which was givenmandate to undertake completion of pending projects. However due to the strikeof contractors, even the work on languishing project has been stalled. JKIDFChas undertaken construction of more than 1000 languishing projects which hadbeen abandoned by previous regimes due to dearth of funds.
“We have categorically told the administration that not asingle developmental works will be undertaken by contractors till our paymentsare released. The liability of only PWD contractors is Rs 719 crore, remainingis the liability of other contractors working with departments such as PHE,irrigation, tourism etc,” said co-chairman of JCCC, GhulamJeelaniPurza.
“On paper though the state administration council has givennod to completion of languishing projects under JKIDFC, but on ground,government has not released any funds so far to the contractors who have donethe works,” he said adding that some of their pending bills date back to 2014when the government begged contractors to start work so that the damagedinfrastructure could be restored. From last two weeks, contractors under bannerof JCCC are protesting outside engineering complex at Rajbagh here.
Other co-chairman, JCCC, Farooq Ahmad Dar said thatgovernment has let down the contractor community who has always worked for thedevelopment of the state.
“We have boycotted all works, in fact government had askedus to carry repair works of estate quarters, painting roads etc, but wecategorically told them that neither tendering nor any repair work will becarried out till our payments are cleared.”
Chief engineer, roads and building department, Kashmir, SamiArif said “Administration is working out to resolve the issue of thecontractors. Hopefully, their grievances will be redressed and work ondevelopmental projects will resume soon.”
When asked about work on languishing projects, he said thatthey are waiting for funds to clear bills of the contractors.