Funds not released by Centre since 2024: CE
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 3: About Rs 1080 crore are lying as outstanding payments of the contractors in Jammu and Kashmir with Jal Shakti Department for the works executed under Jal Jeevan Mission in the UT. Out of this, Rs 700 crore is outstanding with the Department in Jammu region while Rs 380 crore is in Kashmir Valley.
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Besides, crores of rupees are outstanding of contractors with R&B Department of J&K UT for a long time and the contractors are running from pillar to post for the release of payments but to no avail.
Sources said that the payments stuck with Jal Shakti Department are due to the non release of funds by the Government of India under the scheme which has been a cause of concern for the contractors who have executed the works since. They are unable to make the payments of the labourers engaged on the construction works from time to time with the results the aggrieved contractors face harassment through the labourers who even ghearo them and their houses for want of wages, sources added.
They said that contractors are even unable to make the payments of suppliers of material due to non clearance of bills by the concerned Department.
Sources said recently Minister of PHE Javed Rana had visited Union Capital to take up the issue with concerned Ministry but he came with empty hands as the Ministry refused to release the funds until the water does not flow from taps of the consumers who were given the connections under much talked about Jal Jeevan Mission in the UT.
Sources however said that as per the precedence the running payments are released to the contractors and the final one can be kept withheld till the completion of the scheme. But in case of Jal Jeevan Mission this procedure is not being followed with the result the contractors have been put to a humiliating situation, sources added.
They said in R&B every now and then new procedures and rules are being applied for release of payments to the contractors engaged for doing various civil works. The Department before releasing the payments seeks the royalty clearance certificate from Geological and Mining Department which is totally illogical. The contractors purchase the material from crushers and sand and other material from suppliers against proper receipts and after paying GST etc. The contractors are not linked to Mining as they don’t extract building material from stone quarries, rivers and nallahs hence seeking the royalty from Geological and Mining Department is totally illogical.
Sources said a delegation of the contractors met recently the Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani who along with them took up the issue with Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary but to no avail.
Sources said that another problem created in the release of final payment is the order issued by the Department that final payment can’t be released unless the GST Bill are produced. This way the contractors are unnecessarily being harassed by the authorities at the helm of affairs as if they are not the part of the system. Vinod Kohli general secretary of Contractors Association Jammu said that contractors in both the regions of UT are suffering as their payments worth hundreds of crores have been kept withheld for no fault of theirs.
He said some are hard pressed as they are unable to make the payments of the suppliers, labourers etc. They feel harassed when the labourers daily knock their doors demanding wages. “What sin a contractor committed and what for he is being punished”? he asked.
Ghulam Jeelani Purza, J&K Contractors Coordination Committee, chairman said that even there are liabilities in R&B prior to 2019 as huge works were done by contractors and their payments are still withheld while hundreds of crores is liability in Jal Shakti Department for the works done under Jal Jeewan Mission. He said 75 to 80 percent works have been completed but contractors are suffering for release of payment.
Two days back Minister of Jal Shakti also admitted in the Assembly as members showed concern over water scarcity saying that works could not be completed as funds have not been released by Union Government. He exuded confidence that the Centre will release the funds soon and pending works will be completed.
When contacted, Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Jammu, Mohammed Hanif said as Jal Jeevan Mission is a Central sponsored scheme and no funds were received from Union Government since October 2024 which is the main cause of liabilities of contractors. He expressed the hope that the funds will be released by the Department soon and all the liabilities of the contractors will be cleared.
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