SHILLONG: One of the richest departments in the state — Public Works Department (PWD) — has no money to pay its contractors for works they have executed.
Payments of more than Rs 140 crore are due to contractors, who have completed various road and flood control works.
According to a senior government, PWD had unpaid bills worth Rs 110.44 crore for repair works, while the pending bills for original works is Rs 29.02 crore.
The department needs another Rs 10.5 crore to make payment to contractors for flood control works, the official said.
He said that the fund allocated to PWD was not sufficient to make pending payments.
“The decision of the previous MPA Government to de-sanction of road repair and construction work worth Rs 100 crore in 2008-2009 has put the department in a comfortable position,” he said adding ” otherwise the liability of the department would have continued to accumulate”.
He also said that the department at present was carrying out some repair works depending on the availability of fund.
“I have instructed my officers in the department to ensure that the roads in various parts of the city are being kept under a good condition” he added.