State govt owes them more than Rs 24 crore
TURA: A contractors’ body in North Garo Hills called an indefinite strike from Tuesday in protest against two departments, PWD and PHE, for not paying dues for the past seven years.
The North Garo Hills Tribal Contractors’ Association started its protest after the departments failed to clear the mounting bills that have crossed Rs 24 crore in the past seven years.
“We are not begging but only demanding our pending dues. How can contractors carry on government work if they are not paid for the completed projects,” said the association.
With delay in payment, many contractors have to depend on private money lenders. “The government has been mum on the issue for a long time. A couple of months’ delay is understandable but seven long years is unimaginable. It shows how serious the government is regarding development,” said secretary of the contractors’ association Sengnab Momin.
The Garo Students’ Union and the Federation of A’chik Freedom in the district have also come out in support of the contractors.
“It is worrying because contractors are always involved in development projects and emergency restoration work. If they are not paid for their work, how can they continue taking up new projects and how can they maintain their families and education of their children. It is shameful for the government to have failed to pay what is due to the contractors,” the organisations said.
