Srinagar: Members of Jammu and Kashmir Hot Mix Plants and coordination Committee Tuesday launched strike demanding clearance of pending bills to the tune of Rs ‘500 crore’. Contractors protested here in Lal chowk, and accused Finance minister of deliberately ‘creating problems and pushing contractors to bankruptcy’. “We have stopped operation and we will be on strike until our bills are not cleared. We will not take part in next years working plan,” protesting contractors said.
Protesting contractors raised slogans calling governments attitude ‘callous’ and a ‘cruel joke’ towards the work they have ‘already completed’. “This is ironic that government has such a irritating attitude towards us even when we never stopped our work. Even during floods, turmoil etc,” they said. According to protesting contractors claimed the department of Roads and Building has no ‘paucity of funds’. “The liabilities have risen to Rs 100 crores and the department is only creating problems for all of us. Tomorrow they will again ask us to work, how do they think we will?” asked contractors. Protesting contractors urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to personally intervene so that the ‘contractors could have a sigh of relief’. Police swung into action and detained protesting contractors.
(Pic by Zargar Zahoor)
