Karwar: Due to the assurance of the authorities, the protest which was decided to be held by the contractor on Wednesday April 12 demanding the solution of various problems including bill payment was withdrawn and instead their words were brought to the attention of the government by submitting a petition.
In the Public Works Departments City Council and various departments, during the financial period of 2022 – 2023, the contractors completed the works and the port bills were not paid. Due to this the contractors were upset and gathered on A8 while deciding to hold a one-day sit-in in front of the City Council and the Public Works Department.
Accordingly the election Code of Conduct is in force for the contractors who went to the Municipal Council on a sit-in. In this case, the officials asked the contractors not to hold a sit-in. Besides, the symbolic sit-in was curtailed and limited to submission of petitions as it was promised to convene a meeting of the contractors soon to resolve the issues facing the contractors.
The petition was submitted to Municipal Commissioner Udayakumar Shetty and Shiv Prasad, Accounts Superintendent of Karwar Division of Public Works Department.
Financial difficulties for the contractor in the month of March, the problem of not being able to pay the interest to the banks, the participation of contractors from outside taluks the tender for small amounts of work are the issues and in this regard, we as the contractors, contractors from the respective taluks throughout the State should participate in the tenders for works within 50 Lakh, and for works worth more than 50 Lakh, anyone can participate and do the work, he said. He added that it is imperative that our association should teach them a proper lesson.
A meeting of the District Contractors’ Association will be held on Monday April 17, and the contractors have informed that the next step will be decided on that day, and demanded that action should be taken to pay the outstanding bills of the contractors as soon as possible.
