District Development Commissioner Reasi is bogged with two disputes with the Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL). The firm is engaged in bringing railway to Kashmir via Udhampur – Banihal link passing through Reasi District. One dispute is about compensation to be paid for depletion of water resources owning to the digging of tunnels, and the other is of non-payment of wages and other expenditures of labourers to the tune of 2.60 crore rupees. These complaints and disputes have been going on for some time. However the first dispute seems to be heading to resolution and the KRCL is reported to have agreed to pay the compensation. But it is the second dispute that needs immediate resolution. Actually the KRCL had engaged M/S Apex Encon Projects Pvt Ltd. of Andhra Pradesh for various works connected with the project. But this firm is reported to have left without clearing the payment to the tune of 2. 60 crore owing to expenditures like of payment of labourers, house rent, hiring of vehicles/water tankers and mobilization of machineries etc. An amount of 2.60 crore has remained unpaid and the firm has left the site. If this is a fact, then the firm has left a very bad impression by denying the poor labourers their wages, which they have won through the sweat of brow. The District authorities are within their rights to take whatever action is warranted by rules to see that the labourers are paid their wages.
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