Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 20: A large number of contractors working for R&B Department staged one day dharna outside the office of Chief Engineer (R&B) at Lok Nirman Bhawan, Rail Head Complex here today.
The contractors shouted slogans in support of their demand and stressed that their work done liabilities pending for the last many months be cleared by the departments. They pointed out that not only of this year but last year’s bills against the works executed have not bee paid and they were made to make rounds of the offices of Executive Engineer Construction Div-I, Div-II and other Sub-Divisions.
They pointed out that some of the contractors have their liabilities pending amounting to crores of rupees for more than four to five years. They raised slogans against Government and accused senior officers concerned for not releasing their long pending dues, resulting in mental harassment and financial loss to them. They said many contractors have taken loans from the banks and they have been made to pay the interest. Balvinder Singh and Vinod Kohli, general secretaries of the Association alleged that many unapproved works have also been executed on the behest of the politicians and most of the funds under such works have remained unpaid. The engineers were trying to shield such politicians and not giving details sought from the each division even through the RTIs. Even in one of the RTIs surprising figures have come out from Akhnoor, Khour/ Chhamb and Marh where unapproved works are even more than double the actual approved works. The concerned engineers under Gandhi Nagar constituency have not shared the details with the Association. The XEn from Division No. 2 has also refused to provide the details due to reason best known to him. They have sought the intervention of Chief Minister in this regard and demanded that pending bills worth crores of rupees of the contractors be paid without any delay.
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