Contractors Committee demands release of pending payments from J&K govt

Firdous Qadri

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee Chairman Ghulam Jeelani Purza has demanded the release of dues of contractors from various government departments.

He said that the review committee set up by the government has admitted that work has been done on the ground.

Talking to the media, he said that, on one hand, the government was talking about construction and development in Jammu and Kashmir but the payment for works done by the contractors in 2015-16 and onwards has not been released yet.

Asking about the unavailability of construction material and how it was impacting construction projects, Purza said that the Department of Mining and Geology, Govt of Jammu and Kashmir’s ban on sand, gravel and mining activities for the last two years had led to cost overruns of all languishing projects.

As a result of which construction materials have became more expensive, he said.

“Gravel tipper that used to cost Rs 8,000, costs Rs 15,000 today”, he added.

He also urged the LG Administratiom to address this important issue and lift the ban on sand gravel extraction and mining for procurement of construction materials so as not to affect the ongoing construction activities on the ground. (GNS)