Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 4: Contractors from Rajouri district under the banner of Rajouri Contractors Association today flayed the casual approach of Government authorities in clearing their pending liabilities, which are swelling with each passing day and sought immediate intervention of the State Governor in this regard.
While addressing a press conference, here today, district president of the Contractors Association, Ashfaq Magray said that contractors were facing acute hardships on account of non payments of bills. He demanded clearance of pending liabilities of restoration works executed under State disaster response funds after floods in 2014, revision of 2012 schedule rates which were not revised as cost of construction material escalated many folds and clearance of liabilities of FMP 2010-11 in Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
The contractors also said that Rural Engineering Wing of State Government was executing works worth crores of rupees without calling tenders which was clear violation of norms.
They further said that some bureaucrats and politicians were adjusting their blue eyed firms by allowing them works directly through department without calling tenders and contractors from Rajouri have been made scapegoat to work under those schemes where there are no funds availability.
Contractors also said that the languishing project scheme launched by the State Government was an appreciable step but the same has now been turned into a mystery with concerned departments failing to implement the same in context with release of 25 percent payment to contractor.
They also alleged day light violation of norms on the name of charging royalty in Rajouri with royalty being charged for furnished material from contractors which is against norms and authorities are not paying any concern to it despite repeated requests made by contractors.
They also demanded to fix the rates of material purchased from contractors as the same has witnessed a sharp rise in recent months.
Other contractors, who were present in the press conference, included Abdul Majeed Qureshi, Farooq Ahmed Shawl, Nazuk Hussain Shah, Maqbool Ahmed Bhat, Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Shafi Malik, M Sahil Bhat and M Altaf Bhat.
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