*Lock offices in Kathua
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 6: As the meeting between elected members of Contractors Association Jammu Province and Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu failed to yield fruitful results, the contractors decided to continue their protest.
The protest by the contractors entered 9th day today. Amid slogans against Finance Department for imposing Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) System, the protesters were demanding payments for the work done claims in the PWD (R&B)/Irrigation/Flood Control and PHE Departments.
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A high level meeting was held between Finance Minister and elected members of Contractors Association Jammu Province in which Government agreed to clear the work done claims of the contractors in stipulated time but as per PAO system it is not possible to clear the payments of the contractors due to lack of technical sanction, accord of administrative approval and non-availability of appropriate funds. The members observed that this is merely an eye wash on part of the Government.
The contractors also observed that Government is not sincere enough to redress the genuine grievances of the contractors and they demanded that PAO system/expenditure reforms streamlining and speeding up of spending in Government Department may be deferred till all the work done claims of the contractors are financially settled.
Finally, the Contractor Association decided to continue their protest, boycott tenders and no work will be executed or taken in hand till all the liabilities of contractors are cleared.
Meanwhile, the contractors in large number assembled in front of Executive Engineer, PWD Office in district Kathua and held protest and locked all offices. They marched to PWD, PHE, Irrigation, Flood Control and Ravi Tawi Irrigation Department and forcibly locked these offices also. The contractors demanded release of pending dues and non-implementation of PAO system.
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