JOIN USSeveral works proposed by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) might not progress as the contractors working for the civic agency have refused to execute the projects.
The contractors have said that the Palike has not cleared bills worth Rs 1,620 crore in the last 22 months.
Nearly 200 contractors registered with the Palike staged a protest under the aegis of BBMP Contractors’ Association at the Palike head office on Monday, demanding the higher authorities to clear the bills. The protestors threatened to burn effigies of Palike Commissioner M Lakshminarayana and the chief accounts officer on Tuesday when the BBMP budget would be announced. They said there were about 800-1000 contractors working for the Palike.
False promise
“We staged protests in January and February this year. During our last protest, the commissioner had assured us of settling all the bills.
“However, no action has been taken in this regard. We will continue with our protests till the amount is released to us,” said K T Manjunath, president, BBMP Contractors’ Association.
More instances
Contractors executing electrical works, horticultural projects and waste management-related works are facing a similar situation as well, added the protestors.
“At most of the BBMP zones, the civil works are not being undertaken by the contractors due to the delay in payments. In the last two months, more than 100 work orders were received by the civil contractors. Most of them are in limbo barring few projects," added Manjunath.