J&K contractors stage protest; several detained

Dozens of government contractors were detained by police here as they tried to take out a march to press for immediate release of their payments for completed developmental works in Jammu and Kashmir.
The contractors assembled at Press Enclave in the heart of the city under the banner of Contractors Co-ordination Committee and staged a demonstration against the government for its alleged failure to release their payments for the developmental works completed over the past two years.
As they tried to move out on the busy residency road in a procession, policemen foiled their attempt and took dozens of them into preventive custody.

"We have left with no option but to come on the roads to highlight our problems in view of non-seriousness of the government to release the over Rs 600 crore for the completed works," committee's General Secretary Tariq Ahmad Baba said.
He said they had one-to-one meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on February 4 and got an assurance from him that the payments would be released soon.
"However, the government failed to keep its promise," Baba said and threatened to stop all developmental works if the government failed to release their payments before the end of the current financial year.