Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 21: Public Works Department (PWD) Contractors Association held protest and flayed the Government for not releasing cash against their cheques.
Large number of contractors gathered in front of the Sadar Treasury Town Hall and raised slogans against the Finance Minister and Coalition Government for their failure in releasing the payments against the cheques given to them by their respective divisions of PWD Jammu.
While addressing the media persons, Balvinder Singh, general secretary of PWD (R&B) Contractors Association said that contractors were issued cheques by different divisions of Jammu PWD and in some cases the cheques are issued to the contractors for the works which they have executed more than three years ago. The contractors deposited the cheques in different treasuries of Jammu one and half month ago but till today the payments of the contractors have not been released, he added.
Singh further said that the Treasury Officers of different treasuries cleared the cheques issued on the self basis by all the Executive Engineers on the next date when it is being presented in the treasury after charging hefty amount.
He said that the executive Engineers encashed cheques amounting to crores of rupees on the self basis to be distributed for various works executed departmentally in violation of the formalities laid down for the execution of works.
Singh further said that the cheques which are issued to the contractors for the works allotted to them by tendering process are not cleared but on the other hand cheques amounting to crores of rupees issued by the Executive Engineers for the departmental works are cashed the very next day.
The protestors warned the Government that if their payments are not cleared within week time, they will be forced to stop all the developmental works in the State.
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