Vijayawada Municipal Corporation contractors threaten stir over arrears
VIJAYAWADA: Irked over delay in payment of dues, the Municipal Contractors’ Association is contemplating going on an indefinite strike to mount pressure on Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) for payment of dues.
In all, the civic body needs to pay Rs 32 crore to the contractors for executing various development works in the city. According to revenue wing of VMC, the prime reason for the delay of payment to the contractors is because the civic body is yet to receive revenue of Rs 100 crore from State and central governments for realising various projects.
Besides, the VMC is lagging behind in augmenting revenue through taxation. Though the civic body has served notices to the tax defaulters under Section 137 of the Municipal Corporation Act, they are yet to pay the dues. Taking a serious note of the issue, Mayor Koneru Sreedhar convened a meeting with major tax defaulters, especially educational institutions, seeking their cooperation for the development of the city.
Also, the Commissionerate and Directorate of Municipal Administration (CDMA) is yet to sanction Rs 19 crore to the VMC and Rs 5 crore for implementation of Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS). “We would not withdraw our strike plans until dues are paid but at the same time, we do not want to cause inconvenience to residents,” said Municipal Contractors Association general secretary R Adi Babu.