J&K Contractors Unpaid for a Decade Despite Verified Work Orders
JKCCC Chairman Jeelani Purza Urges J&K Govt to Clear Long-Pending Payments
Srinagar,19 Mar,2025: The Jammu and Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCC) has raised serious concerns over the non-payment of pending liabilities, highlighting a disparity in fund disbursement between Kashmir and Jammu-based contractors.
In a statement issued here, JKCCC Chairman Ghulam Jeelani Purza urged the government to take immediate action to clear long-overdue payments, particularly those pending since 2014. He pointed out that liabilities dating back to previous governments, including those led by Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, remain unresolved.
“The government appears indecisive on this issue. Despite repeated assurances, a significant portion of payments for works executed under previous governments remains unpaid. While liabilities in Jammu have been largely cleared, Kashmiri contractors are still awaiting their dues. This is a clear case of injustice,” Purza stated.
He revealed that the outstanding liability stood at ₹500 crore in 2019, equally divided between Kashmir and Jammu. However, while most of Jammu’s dues have been cleared, Kashmiri contractors continue to struggle for their rightful payments.
“If we are part of the same region and the government aims for equal development, why is there such discrimination against Kashmiri contractors? We do not oppose the genuine payments of Jammu-based contractors, but why has Kashmir been ignored?” Purza questioned.
Jeelani Purza further pointed out that while the Jammu division’s outstanding liability now stands at merely ₹17 crore, Kashmiri contractors are still awaiting the clearance of ₹250 crore in dues, raising serious concerns over discriminatory treatment.
“We have all the allotment papers and various verifications have been conducted over time for these projects that remain unpaid. We had taken huge loans and now we are burdened with financial liabilities due to government inaction,” he added.
He also raised concerns about the delayed release of the fourth-quarter allocation from the current budget. “The government has so far released only three quarters of the allocated budget, while the fourth quarter remains withheld. With just a few days left in March, there is a high risk that these funds will lapse, just like crores of payments that lapsed last year,” he warned.
Furthermore, Purza highlighted a significant backlog in treasury payments, stating that while payments for ongoing projects have been processed, pending payments remain stuck, further exacerbating the financial distress faced by contractors.
In addition to financial concerns, Purza criticized the government’s inaction in filling crucial vacancies in the Public Works Department (PWD) and other engineering divisions.
“More than 21 Superintending Engineer (SE) posts and multiple Executive Engineer positions remain vacant, severely impacting project execution and developmental progress across Kashmir. These critical positions should have been filled in advance to prevent delays in project completion,” he emphasized.
He pointed out that under previous governments, engineering and administrative posts were filled proactively, ensuring smooth project execution. However, in recent years, a lack of attention to these vacancies has led to inefficiencies and bottlenecks in the development process.
In light of these pressing concerns, Purza made a humble appeal to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and top financial and administrative secretaries to intervene and resolve the crisis.
“We urge the J&K CM and Deputy CM to personally look into this matter and ensure fairness in fund allocation. Contractors are the backbone of J&K’s infrastructure development. If their dues are not cleared, it will not only halt ongoing projects but also discourage future investments. We need urgent action to prevent another financial setback,” he emphasized.
The Contractors Coordination Committee has urged J&K legislators to take up this matter in the ongoing Assembly session.”We hope that these issues will be prioritized and that all MLAs will ensure these liabilities are addressed so that contractors can finally breathe a sigh of relief,” Purza urged.
