Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 6: The electrical sub-contractors are dejected over the non-payment of pending bills by Power Development Department (PDD), despite completion of work four years ago.
The contractors alleged that the Power Development Department has not been paying its dues to the sub-contractors despite completion of the work since years together. “We are 200 sub-contractors who were engaged for creating Power Development infrastructure under the flagship programme (RAPDRP-B) at various worksites. We were promised that whatever works allotted and undertaken would be paid on submission of the bill within 15 days and complete payment at the completion of the works. But despite completion of works, the payment has not been paid yet,” the contractors said.
They said the contract was given to the EMC Company in 2014 and they were roped in for the augmentation of transmission lines but despite completion of works, the pending dues have not been paid yet.
As per the contractors, the non-payment of pending bills is taking a heavy toll on their lives as they are in huge debt. “We have raised huge amount of bank loan and are paying interest at the rate of 13%. Our minor young children are suffering hardships as we are unable to pay for their school fees, uniform, books and shoes. It is too difficult for us to even make evening meals. Our neighborly groceries are unable to provide day to day necessities as their due payments have not been paid since more than a year. We are in desperate need as we cannot see our children die of hunger and cold weather. We are likely to be thrown behind the bars as we can’t pay the loan amount borrowed from the financial institutions,” an aggrieved contractor said.
The contractors said that they have been approaching several officials of the administration in past but no concrete step has been taken yet. “We made fervent appeals to several authorities in past and no steps were taken to release our pending dues. More than one and a half month ago we were assured of settling the issues at the earliest, but nothing seems to have moved till date,” the contractors said, adding, “We appeal to the Governor administration to intervene into the matter.”
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