Haveri contractors seek mercy killing over unpaid dues by Karnataka govt

Haveri: The Haveri district contractors’ association has alleged that the state government has not cleared pending dues of contractors amounting to Rs 738 crore, for the works taken up in the district in the last few years.

Addressing a press meet here on Sunday, Mallikarjun Haveri, taluk president of Haveri district contractors’ association, said the contractors in the district would be forced to seek mercy killing if the government failed to clear the pending dues by April-end.

“The commission menace in several departments is rampant. Several officials and middlemen have taken 10 per cent to 15 per cent commission for the works. So far, 10 harried contractors have died by suicide. The commission menace in several departments, including Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, is rampant and widespread. The contractors borrow money at high interests to execute the works. We paid a commission hoping that they would clear our dues. The middlemen are sucking contractors’ blood,” he alleged.

“In Haveri district, bills amounting to Rs 200 cr is pending with the Public Works Department, RDPR has to clear Rs 138 cr in dues to contractors and Rs 400 cr is pending for the works announced during the previous BJP government,” he said.

“The contractors had staged a protest in Belagavi when the winter session of state legislature was underway. The Public Works minister had then assured them of clearing the bills in phases by March-end. The RDPR, KNNL and the Minor Irrigation department have not cleared bills running into crores. The contractors want the government to clear their bills or grant them euthanasia,” the contractors’ association office-bearer said.