Developmental works across J&K on halt, as contractors’ strike enter 11th day

About 70,000 contractors, who are on strike from last 11 days, have not only brought all the developmental works across Jammu and Kashmir to stand still but have locked down all engineering complexes and offices of Roads and Buildings and its allied departments in the state barring the staff and officers, including chief engineers from entering any office premises or doing any official business. 

The protesting contractors have locked main entrance of engineering complex in Srinagar’s Rajbagh area which houses the offices of chief engineers of R&B, PHE, Irrigation and flood control department over nonpayment of bills amounting to hundreds of crores.

   

The locking of government departments pertaining to developmental works, have left the officials of R&B, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control unable to perform any official duties.

“We are not able to enter our offices leave aside doing any official work due to the strike. Even chief engineers are not able to attend their respective office which is not a good sign,” said a senior R&B official.

Despite CM assurance to a group of contractors, who met her recently, the Jammu and Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCC) – an amalgam of contractors of the state- said it will continue the strike and protests. JKCCC said the verbal assurance, which have been given previously as well, are not later on met. 

Public Works Minister Naeem Akhter said the demands of contractors would be met soon, however he did not give any specific date.  “Contractors invest their money in government projects and there is no reason why we not should pay them. I assure them that their pending liabilities will be cleared soon,” he said.

However, JKCCC accused government of repeatedly failing to fulfill its commitments.

“We have been running from pillar to post for seeking payment of our bills. But instead of any payment we are only receiving rhetoric,” said chairman, JKCCC, Ghulam Jeelani Purza.

“This kind of strike is unprecedented in J&K. Never ever have contractors shunned work for 11 consecutive days and locked offices for seeking their payments,” he said. “We (contractors) have no option other than to go for strike because our capital, not to talk of any profit, is in perils due to government’s apathy.”

Purza said: “It is irony that some of pending bills date back to 2014 when we took restoration works post devastating floods. We are yet to be paid for those works. Contractors are facing social stigma due to their inability to repay loans taken from market, some of us are even failing to pay school fee of children. We are on verge of bankruptcy.”

Meanwhile another faction of JKCCC threatened to raise black flags on developmental work sites.

“We don’t believe in boycott politics, but we have no other option left. We are registering our protests in order to get our grievances redressed,” said general secretary of its faction of JKCCCC, Farooq Ahmad Dar said, added that they will not end boycott till chief minister or government will not give written assurance.

Castigating government Dar said that it is doing nothing to solve the problems faced by the contractors. “We don’t want any sympathetic words but practical resolution of our problems, which is payment of bills,” he said.

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