Contractors voice against govt for hiring single contractor

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Various departments of the state government have held up bills for work done by educated unemployed engineers and other contractors under different headings for the past six months. These bills need to be cleared before March 31. Furthermore, the government is planning to assign all work to a single contractor across the state, which has raised concerns. To register a protest against the move, the local branch of the State Contractors' Federation held a sit-in protest in front of the District Collector's office, demanding that these practices be stopped. The Federation, under the leadership of Marathwada Division President Anil Patil, submitted a memorandum to deputy collector Sangeeta Rathod.

Patil was accompanied by Ajay Sonawane, Akshay Tathe, Nikhil Kare, and others. The memorandum stated that bills for work done by educated unemployed engineers and small and large contractors under headings 2216, 2051, 5054, 3054, 2515, and 4218 have been pending for the past six months. Besides, the government is trying to consolidate development works and assign all contracts to a single contractor across the state, based on a court order. This could lead to a crisis for educated unemployed engineers and small contractors. Unfair conditions are being imposed on work worth Rs 1.5 crore. Contractors are facing harassment from local goons and require protection. Furthermore, officials are using disrespectful language.

The agitation was participated by hundreds of contractors.