Civic contractors claim non-payment of dues; threaten strike

Demanding payment of their dues running into over Rs 1,200 crore, municipal contractors here have threatened to stop from March 20 any ongoing development and maintenance works allotted to them.
"We have been asking the officials of the north and east corporations for payment of our dues since September, 2013, amounting to Rs 1,277 crore but have received little so far, forcing us to decide to stop work from March 20," said Ajay Kapur, vice president of the MCD Contractors Association.
Scores of contractors had yesterday protested at the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) headquarters at Civic Centre demanding payment of their dues.

Following the protest, the contractors were paid Rs 15 crore with a promise that another instalment of Rs 15-20 crore would be released soon, said a senior municipal corporation official.
However, the contractors said the payment was "too little" to solve their problem of having to pay their own suppliers and workforce.
"It is too little to be of any effect since the dues stand at Rs 1,277 crore. We also need money to pay our suppliers and the men employed by us," Kapur said.
He said municipal corporation officials have also assured that the dues will be paid after getting funds from Delhi government.

The decision by nearly 500 contractors for the north and east municipal corporations may hit supplies vis-a-vis development and maintenance works undertaken by the Engineering, Building, Public Health, Horticulture, Hospital Administration and other such departments.