Delay in payments can halt fresh projects

The Kashmir Valley’s contractors have time and again set the stage for raising their demands of releasing the pending payments for which the work according to them has been completed years ago. According to the contractors, the payments have been put on hold for the last seven years as they have not been provided the amount for which they have already completed the work since 2014. According to these contractors, a clean has been given to the works they have completed. One fails to understand why the departments are delaying the release of the payments when the government has stated from time to time that a huge amount has been released for the completion of the projects. The pending payments have already added to the miseries of the contractors, who have so far addressed media persons twice in two weeks, appealing the government to release their pending payments. The delay in releasing the pending payments can possibly halt the fresh works, going on across the Valley. The Lieutenant Governor must intervene into the matter personally at an earliest and ensure that the pending payment is released forthwith so that the fresh works will not get affected. There is a need to consider the demands of the contractors keeping in view of the sufferings of their families due to the withholding of the payments since the year 2014.