Contractors on hunger strike to press for release of pending bills

Contractors protesting in Srinagar on Saturday. -Excelsior/Shakeel
Contractors protesting in Srinagar on Saturday. -Excelsior/Shakeel

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 10: Scores of contractors today began their 36-hour hunger strike at Partap Park here to press for the release of payments against the projects they had executed.
The contractors who assembled under the banner of J&K Central Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCCC) in Partap Park to register their protest said that the bills worth Rs 750 crore have been pending with the various departments.
They alleged that the Government is doing sheer injustice with them as due to the pending amount the developmental works across Kashmir valley have been badly affected. “Our bills worth Rs 750 crore are pending with Government departments which are not released for unknown reasons,” said Farooq Ahmad Dar, General Secretary JKCCCC.
He said the hunger strike call had been given to protest the pending bills of Rs 750 crores, the State Government owes to contractors, and E- billing System.
He accused the State Government of compelling them to launch the hunger strike. “We tried our level best to solve the matter in a peaceful manner but the insensitive attitude of the state government towards our grievances left us no option than to start this hunger strike,” he said.
Meanwhile, EJAC members including Fayaz Shabnam, Manzoor Pampori, Farooq Ahmed Khan, Shabir Ahmad Langoo and Kurshid Ahmed participated in strike and showed solidarity with contractors.

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