Srinagar, Mar 04 (KNS): Amid indefinite Boycott call of Developmental works and tendering process Central Contractors Coordination Committee Sunday held a protest demonstration at Lalchowk Srinagar against the government’s failure to release their bills which are pending with various departments.
Scores of contractors assembled at Lal Chowk Park here and march towards Ghanta Ghar(clock Tower).The protest demonstration was led by its J&KCCCC General Secretary Farooq Ahmad Dar in which contractors from various Departments and Districts participated.
The contractors were demanding clearance of bills which they claimed were pending with the government.
“We appeal the government to clear the pending bills till, we will boycott all tenders and developmental projects Farooq Ahmad Dar, JKCCC General Secretary said, adding that their repeated pleas to the authorities concerned in this behalf had fallen on deaf ears.
Accusing the government of being insensitive towards them, Dar lamented that ‘injustice’, is being meted out to more than 70,000 Valley based contractors.
He alleged that Rs750 crore of Contractors is still pending with government from last so many years.
“We have spent crores of rupees on maintenance and up gradation on Development works, but till date no funds have been released”, Dar alleged.
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.
Demanding immediate release of the claims, he said why the contractors should bear the loss due to negligence of engineers and politicians, who force them to complete the work without arranging the required funds in advance.
It has been so many years but bills worth crores of rupees of contractors are pending thereby forcing them to ‘indefinitely suspend’ works on all major developmental works in Kashmir.
The contractors said they have decided not to carry any development works from Feb.27 until the pending bills are cleared. “We will not carry development works until Government clears the liabilities.
Tasaduk Hussain laway, M.Sidique Sofi, Haji Nazir Ahmed Zarger, Javid Ahmed Zargar, Hilal Ahmed Tarabli, Ishfaq Khan, Imtiyaz Ahmed Bhat, Riyaz Ahmed, Gh. Rasool Mir, Ab.Khaliq and others participated in protest. (KNS)