Development works remain halted as contractors await payment of bills

Despite the end of model code conduct imposed in view of general elections, the developmental works of Kashmir continue to be hostage of state government’s failure to clear unpaid liability of over Rs 1000 crore pushing contractors to bankruptcy.

Developmental activities such as construction of hospitals,schools, bridges etc in Kashmir has been grounded since March following theboycott call of Joint Contractors’ Coordination Committee after stategovernment failed to release their pending bills amounting to Rs 1024 crore.

   

According to an official, out of Rs 1024 crore, theliability of public works department is around Rs 719 crore, remaining is theliability of contractors who had done works on behalf of the other departments.

“We have forwarded a note to the finance department seekingrelease of payment. However there has not been any response, but it is likelythat before the Eid some portion of pending payment will be released,” said asenior official of PWD.

However, the non-payment of bills of contractors hasdampened Eid festivity among families of over 30,000 contractors.

“I have even sold my ancestral land to invest now neither Ihave land nor the money as a result of which I have became a broke. This is thesituation almost every contractor in Kashmir is facing,” said Bashir Ahmad acontractor.

The pending bills of contractors date back to 2014 when thegovernment asked the contractors to carry on repairs of dilapidated roads andbuildings on fast-track basis.

“Contractors are facing social and mental trauma due toinsensitive attitude of the state government. It is for the first time thateven ahead of Eid, government has not released our due payment. We have beenpushed to bankruptcy, some of contractors who have been forced to selljewellery of their wives to make ends meet,” said chairman, JKJCCC, GhulamJeelani Purza.

“It seems government is deliberately pushing contractors towall, so that developmental activities in Kashmir suffer and they could divertthe amount,” he said adding that “after Eid if the state government didn’trelease our pending bills, we will hit roads and even stop repair work of roadswhich we had resumed after the intervention of the civil society of Kashmir.”

Work on maternity hospital Bemina, degree colleges, schoolsand office complexes, bridges and roads across Kashmir is yet to start as thecontractors have said they would resume work only when the government clearstheir pending bills amounting to Rs 1024 crore.

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