Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 7: An urgent meeting of Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA) was held today under the chairmanship of Lalit Mahajan, in respect of non release of pending payment of SSI Units since last one year for the supply of GI Pipes to the Chief Engineer PHE Department Jammu and Kashmir against the valid supply orders.
Members present in the meeting, raised serious concern in respect of pending payments amounting to approximate Rs 20 crore since long due to which working of the Industrial Units was suffering very badly. Because of blockage of funds, working capital limits of these units stand exhausted resulting into serious financial crunch as the Unit holders face accumulated liability of crores of rupees for the last more than one year, they explained. .
Apart from the above, they added, funds amounting to crores of rupees stand blocked in the stocks lying in the Units against the orders in hand issued by the department for fresh supplies. “We fear that the unit holders have no option but to close down their units in near future resulting retrenchment of hundreds of worker if their outstanding payments not release immediately,” they said.
It is pertinent to mentioned here that as per the Delayed Payment Act 2006 of Govt of India, it is mandatory for all the Govt departments to release the payment of SSI Sector within 45 days from the date of receipt of material otherwise the department is bound to pay the interest on the delayed payment but the concerned officials are not adhering to the guidelines of the Act for the reason best known to them resulting the claims amounting to crores of rupees are lying pending with the Chairman MSME, Facilitation Council, Jammu for the recovery of the amount.
The BBIA has appealed the Finance Minister Haseeb A Drabu, Minister for I&FC and PHE Department Sham Lal Chowdhary and Industries & Commerce Minister Chander Parkash to intervene in to the matter for the immediate release of pending payments of the unit holders.
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