Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 15: J&K Contractors’ Coordination Committee (JKCCC), an apex body of all the civil contractors of the State, today warned the Government to clear the pending bills of the Contractors at the earliest failing which the contractors would be forced to stop work on the ongoing projects and also would not allow the Government to call tenders for new works.
Addressing the media persons, here today at Press Club, general secretary, JKCCC, Balvinder Singh, condemned the Government for having failed to clear the pending bills of the contractors, which he alleged have reached upto Rs 700 crore.
He said most of the contractors had taken loans even from private persons as well as financial institutions with hefty interest rates but with dilly dallying approach of the Government in clearing their pending dues, they are forced to pay the interests unnecessarily, which has now reached equal to the principal amount of loan.
Demanding immediate release of the claims along with the interests, he said why should the contractors bear the loss due to negligence of engineers and politicians, who force them to complete the work without arranging the required funds in advance.
He welcomed the e-tendering system introduced by the Chief Minister, but regretted that he (CM) failed to fix time frame for payments to the contractors.
Sham Singh, president of the Association, criticized the way the Government switched over to new Civil System of Accounting without doing any homework on its working. He said as the Government introduced this accounting system without consulting the stake holders and issuing clear cut directions to the Finance Department for clearing the pendency in different treasuries of the State, the bills, whose payment has already been released by the Government, have not been cleared by the Treasury Officers.
Both the representatives of the Association, urged the Government to give one time exemption to all the works executed before March 31, 2012 and issue strict instructions to the engineers not to start work till the release of funds.
JKCCC Jammu also hinted to join the ongoing struggle of JKCCC Kashmir for the said issues.
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