State contractors’ association to hold strike over pending bills on March 6

Karnataka State Contractors’ Association to strike on March 6 over ₹37,370 crore in pending payments from the government.

Upset over the inordinate delay in payment of pending bills to the tune of ₹37,370 crore, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA) has decided to launch a massive strike on March 6.

Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on February 19, State president of the association R. Manjunath said the government has not cleared dues amounting to ₹37,370 crore, pending in various departments, with some payments pending for nearly three years.

He said contractors in the State were facing severe financial difficulties owing to delayed fund releases, despite repeated representations.

Mr. Manjunath said the association had submitted around 100 letters to the government, but there had been little response. He urged the Chief Minister to hold an official meeting with contractors and the department officials concerned, stating that such a discussion could resolve 75% of the issues.

He said a similar problem of delayed fund release had arisen during 2013–18, but it was resolved through loan arrangement. However, now, no such step had been taken.

He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier talked about discontinuing the package system upon coming to power. However, now, the package system is still continuing. Projects where funds are readily available are being awarded to contractors from outside the State, while local contractors are forced to wait for their payment for years. Many contractors who had taken loans to complete projects are facing hardships, he said.