Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 5: Contractors seeking release of pending payments today blocked the passage to offices of four Chief Engineers here in Rajbagh area.
Agitating contractors led by Ghulam Jeelani Purza of J&K Contractors Association converged at Main Gate of Chief Engineer’s Building here this morning and locked the main gate and barred concerned employees to get in or outside.
The contractors said that they have been running from pillar to post to get their payments released but the Government has only given them false assurances. “The Government has been buying time and today we have been forced to lock down this building,” they said.
According to Purza, the Government owed them Rs. 1100 crore, out of which R&B owe Rs. 475 crore, Estates Department Rs. 60 crore, PHE Rs. 135 crore and Irrigation and Flood Control Rs. 140 crore.
Besides these payments, Purza said, the contractors took repairing of vital roads and bridges after September 2014 floods on war footing basis on the directions of authorities.
“There was no connectivity due to damages caused to vital roads, river embankments and bridges during September 2014 floods. We repaired them on war footing basis on the directions of authorities,” he said and added that under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) the Government owes them Rs. 47 crore.
Urging State Government to release their pending payments within three days, the contractors warned of intensified agitation across Valley.
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