Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 7: Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Jayesh Gupta has urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to release all outstanding payments to contractors as soon as possible, citing that the bills entitled to them were supposed to be released in 2023-2024 but have not yet been released.
Speaking at a press conference held here today, Jayesh Gupta said that even though the fiscal year 2023-24 has come to an end and a new year has begun, the Government has not yet paid the pending bills running in Crores against various development projects under different departments.
According to Gupta, the contractors had taken out large bank loans to finish these projects, but the unjustified hold-up in payment has made their situation worse since they are now unable to make bank loan payments on time and take on additional development projects.
“Bills worth hundreds of crores of rupees were dishonoured on March 31 as there were no funds in Government treasuries,” he alleged, adding contractors have been left in a lurch as they do not have money to pay even wages to their employees.
Stating that delay in releasing their payments have created deep anguish among the contractors, the senior AAP leader urged LG Manoj Sinha and the Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to clear their liabilities at the earliest so that they can get a sigh of relief.
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