Lack of funds, labourers hit contractors

Nagpur: Contractors of all departments — be it the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), Public Works Department (PWD) or Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) — are a despondent lot.

They have not got payment for their past works, and now neither have money nor labourers to complete the works in hand.

Vijay Naidu, president of Nagpur Municipal Corporation Contractors’ Welfare Association, said very few NMC contractors were executing any work presently. “Most of our construction workers were from outside and they have gone home.

As only in situ construction is permitted, labourers have to stay on the site. However, locals refuse to do so. Thus we don’t have workers,” he added.

Naidu further said that most contractors were anyway not interested in completing their work.

“Right now everybody is running from pillar to post to get payment for past works, which were due in March. As we don’t have money, we can’t start new work as suppliers would first want us to clear past bills,” he added.

Pravin Mahajan, president of Contractors and Builders Association of Vidarbha, said that VIDC contractors were not working because of labour and funds shortage.

“Only those contractors whose workers live on the site can work. Labourers employed by many contractors were from outside the state and they have gone home,” he told TOI.

Mahajan further said that Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation contractors had demanded two things from the water resources ministry.

“They should release the security deposit and performance security deposit to the extent of work done. Government of India has issued an order in this regard but the state government is yet to implement it,” he added.

The contractor leader further said that PWD had issued an order, whereby only those contractors who agree to submit an affidavit that they would not seek payment for their work before March 2022 will be awarded works in the coming months.

Nitin Salve, president of Nagpur Contractors’ Association, said that the condition of PWD contractors was pitiable.

“We haven’t received any payment since March. The Nagpur office had received some money, but they had to return it following orders from headquarters. We have all submitted applications for extending the deadline of our work by six months as permitted by central government. However, if our past dues are not cleared we won’t be able to execute the works in hand,” he told TOI.

Salve further said that 90% contractors did not have in situ labourers and hence were anyway unable to work.


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