Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, June 14(KINS): The development works in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to get halted as contractors have threatened to suspend works against non-clearance of pending bills.
According to a memorandum submitted by Jammu and Kashmir Contractors’ Coordination Committee (JKCCC) to Lieutenant Governor, GC Murmu, the pending liabilities on account of contractor payments have reached Rs 1042 crore.
In Kashmir division, Roads and Buildings Department owes Rs 364 crore under different heads to contractors; Public Health Engineering and Irrigation and Flood Control Department has liability of Rs 222 crore on this count, Tourism department has Rs 30 crore, Drainage circle Rs 27 crore. Thus the total liabilities in Kashmir division are over Rs 600 crore.
In Jammu, Roads and Buildings Department liabilities are Rs 200 crore, Public Health Engineering and Irrigation and Flood Control Rs 199 crore and Drainage circle Rs 30 crore. Thus the total pending bills in Jammu are around Rs 450 crore.
Chairman J&K Contractors’ Coordination Committee, Ghulam Jeelani Purza said contractors of Jammu region have already suspended works against non-clearing of bills.
“Contractors are being harassed on one pretext or the other. Government framed engineers committee who submitted report on pending liabilities. Later a team of Finance Department conducted its own audit and submitted report to the government. Now the government is saying the Anti-Corruption Bureau will hold its own audit. Contractors are being asked to submit technical sanction and administrative approval documents of works. But the government has never given contractors any administrative approval since 1965. Where will we get the administrative approval,” Purza told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service(KINS).
The contractors he said also met Murmu in February this year. “He (LG) told us that the government will liquidate our payment after March. On directives of the PDP-BJP ministers, works were started but payment has not been released yet. We are giving one week ultimatum to the government to release our pending bills or we will boycott all developmental works,” he warned.
North Kashmir President J&K Contractors Coordination Committee Showkat Teli said the contractors suffer badly due to non-releasing of payment. “We have raised this issue number of times but liabilities are not being cleared,” Teli said.
A senior Public Works Department official said people would face inconvenience due to delay in completion of public infrastructure projects like roads, their repair and macadamization, and construction of healthcare establishments if contractors suspend the works.
Majority of the roads in Kashmir including important road links in Srinagar city are in shambles.
Chief engineer R&B, Kashmir Sami Aarif has said that work to macadamize roads has already begun.
“We have a target to macadamize one thousand KM road length across Kashmir this summer,” Aarif told KINS.
He said major roads are on priority list for macadamization. “Roads leading to hospitals, colleges and other vital public institutions are on priority list,” he said.
He added that the macadamization work has already started around ten days ago.(KINS)
