BENGALURU: The month-long strike called by the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association will affect ongoing works in Bengaluru. Garbage collection, road works, laying of water and sewage pipelines and flyover projects will be impacted, admit association members. They have asked citizens to take measures in advance, as the strike will start by April-end.
Works by BBMP will also be affected as members of the BBMP Contractors’ Association have also extended support. The Garbage Contractors Association has also extended support, however, the members admitted that they are a part of essential services. “But pending bills have to be cleared, and we face a lot of trouble from BBMP. We are yet to get our dues and there are many association members on the verge of giving up, like Santosh Patil,” said S N Balasubramanian, president of BBMP Garbage Contractors’ Association.
Of one lakh registered contractors in the state, around 45,000 are in Bengaluru alone, handling different types of works, including housing, roads, lakes, parks, health and garbage. This includes contractors from Grade-A to Grade-4.
“In Bengaluru, there are ongoing works to the tune of around Rs 10,000 crore, including works worth Rs 5,000 crore under Nagarothana. The strike will draw the attention of government agencies to pending bills, the attitude of officials and troubles the contractors are facing. When the government demands that work be executed on time, it should also clear payments on time. Our payments are pending for more than three years,” said R Ambikapathi, President of BBMP Contractors’ Association.