Release payments

With several people appreciating the budget presented in the Legislative Assembly for the first time in the last seven years, some of the people have raised their voices for being completely ignored by the government in the financial statement, which leaves them to lurch at large. In one such instance, the contractors, whose payments have been delayed for a long time now, were expecting a positive and favourable response in the budget, but with no announcement in this regard, the contractors have issued a warning to the government that if their demands are not met, they will be left with no choice but to boycott tenders. This statement doesn’t suit Jammu and Kashmir at a time when the developmental projects are expected to take the region to the new heights. The boycott by the contractors would certainly end up in halt on the developmental projects in Jammu and Kashmir, which would bring the development at the snail’s pace. The Jammu and Kashmir Central Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCCC) has expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to address contractors’ concerns, particularly regarding delayed payments and difficulties in the tendering process. Criticizing the recent budget, the JKCCCC has pointed out that it had not met contractors’ expectations and emphasized that both the ruling government and the opposition had ignored contractors’ issues, despite both parties presenting contractors’ work as a key issue during election campaigns. The government needs to understand that contractors are an essential part of the development process and their demands must not get delayed for a longer period, which would affect the developmental works and also hamper the progress of Jammu and Kashmir at the same time. Therefore, it is high time for the government to take appropriate measures and ensure that the pending payments of these contractors are released to ensure progress in the region.