Contractors flags payment delays, material shortages

Srinagar, Jun 2: A delegation from the Jammu and Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCC), led by Chairman Ghulam Jeelani Purza, met with Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, to raise critical, long-pending issues affecting the contractor community across the region.

In a memorandum submitted during the meeting, the JKCCC highlighted unresolved payments for restoration work done during the 2014 floods, delays in bill clearances, raw material shortages, and administrative hurdles within the Public Works Department (R&B).

Chairman Purza noted that many contractors in Kashmir undertook emergency repairs following the 2014 floods without documentation, acting in good faith. “Hundreds of contractors are still awaiting payments for that work,” he said. “Despite government assurances of 48-hour bill clearances, payments continue to be withheld at treasuries without explanation.”

He also criticised the Geological and Mining Department for disrupting legal raw material supply by seizing transport vehicles, further stalling development work.

The JKCCC voiced strong opposition to the recent merger of 18-foot-wide main city roads into the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), arguing that the SMC lacks both the infrastructure and financial capacity to manage them. “These roads should remain under the jurisdiction of the Roads & Buildings Department,” Purza said.

Further concerns were raised about the recent restructuring of the R&B Department. “One Chief Engineer handling three districts is unworkable. The department needs to return to a regional structure—one Chief Engineer for Jammu and another for Kashmir,” the delegation stated, calling for a rollback of the current system and filling of long-pending technical staff vacancies.

Purza expressed hope that the administration would take swift action to address these concerns. He also thanked Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani for giving the delegation a patient hearing and assured JKCCC’s support for government-led development initiatives.