Bengaluru, Oct 17 – The State Contractors’ Association on Friday called on Karnataka’s Congress‑led government to pay the 33‑billion‑rupee bill that contractors say is still owed. The association said it would halt all state construction projects and stage a big protest if the money is not released.
President R. Manjunath said at a press conference in Bengaluru that Congress leaders had promised to solve contractor problems once they took power, but the promises have not been kept. “Contractors have no other options now,” he said. He added that the group’s members’ families are also pressing the issue.
The association claims about 52 billion rupees is overdue on bills. A few departments have already cleared some amounts, but 33 billion rupees remains unpaid. “We can wait another month,” Manjunath warned. “If the money isn’t paid, we’ll launch a strong agitation.”
Manjunath also accused Congress leaders of still collecting high commissions for issuing “NOCs” (no‑objection certificates) to contractors. He told the group that under former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, commissions were increased, but he has not requested an exact percentage. “We do not want conflict with the state government,” he said. “We will meet with ministers to set a deadline.”
He explained that under the current system, tenders are grouped into packages that favor a handful of large contractors, leaving small contractors without work. Sometimes a single contractor is awarded a job worth 100 million rupees.
In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday in Mysuru that people who make such allegations should go to court. He said the claims were intentional attacks against his government.
Earlier this month, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association sent a letter to CM Siddaramaiah accusing the government of collecting 80 percent commissions and of nepotism in state contracts. It also warned that the allegations could trigger a campaign against the former state government of Basavaraj Bommai.
The BJP’s Karnataka unit slammed the Congress‑led government, saying it was running a 40‑percent campaign against the previous administration and demanded that CM Siddaramaiah step down over the 80‑percent commission allegations. The association had also sent the same letter to the central Congress leadership.
Source: ianslive
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