BENGALURU: Works, mostly pertaining to the public works department, health and irrigation sectors across Karnataka -- executed by over one lakh registered contractors in the state, are likely to be hit soon.
Stating that there should be no more contractors committing suicide and stressing upon government agencies to immediately clear pending dues of Rs 25,000 crore, members of the Karnataka State Contractors Association on Wednesday announced that they would go on a month-long strike anytime before April-end. Around 20,000 ongoing works totally worth Rs 1 lakh crore will be affected because of the strike.
The date will be set after a meeting with members of the emergency executive committee and all registered members of the association, said association president D Kempanna. He said that a rally will be held in Bengaluru on May 25 to press their demands and bring their plight into focus after the tragic suicide of contractor Santosh Patil in Udupi on Tuesday. “A memorandum will once again be submitted. Over the last two years, memorandums are being submitted, but the government has done nothing. Most of the contractors are on that path of breaking down, like Santosh Patil, and could take the extreme step. We do not want that to happen. The strike will be held to draw the attention of the government and citizens to our plight,” he said.
Association vice-president R Ambikapathi said works worth Rs 1 lakh crore are going on in the state and a month-long protest will severely affect them. The biggest setback will be for road works. “But there is no other option now. We had also written to PM Narendra Modi, but got no response. We had met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai during the pre-budget meeting and put forth our demands. He had assured us of addressing the issue, but later forgot,” he said.
Association members said, “The government agencies will use the protest against us and impose penalties for delays in execution of works. But they do not pay penalties when they delay payments.”