Bengaluru, Sep 30 (PTI) The KSCA on Wednesday threatened to launch agitations across Karnataka if the government fails to clear pending dues estimated at Rs 38,000 crore and address other contractor demands before November.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar blamed the previous BJP government for the situation, and said he is thinking about ways to resolve the issue.
Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) president R Manjunath said contractors have outstanding payments from eight government departments and claimed the dues could be a few thousand crore rupees more.
He also alleged that the commission demanded for clearing payment dues which is now higher than during the previous BJP regime, but he declined to reveal the percentage.
“Eight departments involve our work, from all these departments we have dues of Rs 38,000 crore, which may be a couple of thousand crores more. The chief minister himself has said Rs 40,000 crore. He has been stating that he will have to arrange about Rs 50,000 crore. There are Rs 8,000 crore in dues from the PWD department, Rs 14,000 crore from the major irrigation department which the CM held until recently, and Rs 3,600 crore from minor irrigation,” Manjunath said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, “Despite meeting the ministers and officials repeatedly, our demands are not met with. It has become inevitable for us to stage agitations now. We have informed the CM and the officials at his office that we will begin the agitation.”
“There are certain things that need to be done by the Finance Department for us. If the CM doesn’t call us, discuss our issues, resolve them, and doesn’t make our payments, we are ready to come out openly and reveal things. We will do it,” he said.
Let us give the government some time. “If the payment does not come this month, if it does not come in November, and if our issues are not resolved before the next session, we are ready to openly discuss everything with you (media) in December.”
Reacting to contractors’ association’s demand, Shivakumar said, “What has happened is Yediyurappa (during his tenure as CM) had given more contracts, despite not having budget. Those works are getting completed, their bills need to be paid. Because of such disasters, the Finance Department had recently written a letter (cautioning the government). It was done during their (BJP) tenure. I will think about how to resolve it. Contractors should also be protected. I will discuss it.”
Regarding the commission charge by the association and its chief, the CM, while speaking to reporters in Chamarajanagar, said, “Let them file an affidavit and reveal to whom the commission has to be paid….I will get it investigated.”
The ’40 per cent commission’ allegation by KSCA, under its then president Kempanna, had rocked state politics and became a major poll plank for the Congress to wrest power from BJP in 2023 Assembly polls.
Requesting reporters not to ask about the commission percentage sought from contractors by those in the government to clear dues, Manjunath said, “The percentage remains under this government. Compared to the previous one, don’t ask how much. It is more compared to the previous period. We cannot tell by how much percentage, because 1.50 lakh contractors will be watching us. Let the money come, we will call you. Let the CM permit us, we will reveal everything.”
He said that because of Kempanna’s revelations, contractors have not received payments for four years.
“We are only making our pain known to you. There is a percentage; we are not denying it. Let the CM call the MLAs and ministers, we are ready to reveal who is taking how much. It is going to everyone,” he added.
Manjunath also claimed that Congress used Kempanna and KSCA to come to power during the 2023 Assembly polls.
“Earlier, when Siddaramaiah was to become chief minister, our Kempanna and the Karnataka State Contractors Association’s struggle was used by them (Congress). At that time, they used to call Kempanna even at 10 or 11 at night and engage with him and make use of the association’s support. But after the government came to power, even though three years have passed, Siddaramaiah has not provided us with any kind of assistance,” he alleged.
“Shivakumar, who was then the Deputy CM, was also the same in this regard. When we held a massive protest on March 6, he came to the protest site, along with Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Boseraju and told us: We are with you. This government has come because of you. We are aware of your contribution, and we remember it. Under no circumstances will we forget you. If we forget you, nothing good will happen to us… but nothing happened,” he added.
Manjunath further alleged that the payments due to contractors are being used for the government’s guarantee schemes.
“It should not be given for guarantees. For example, if we ourselves have any debt within our homes, we first repay the loan and then manage our lives with whatever is left. In the same way, they should not take somebody else’s money, give guarantees, and move on,” he said.
Stating that providing guarantee schemes and arranging funds for them was the government’s responsibility, Manjunath said, “KSCA has nothing to do with it or with the guarantees. They (govt) should give us the money that is owed to us.”
The KSCA chief said they will conduct protests at the district level. “Our association will go to the Deputy Commissioners’ offices through a padayatra and submit a memorandum. If the chief minister does not call us for a meeting, we will do this in all 31 districts.” PTI KSU KH
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