PWD contractors decide to stop state construction works

The anguished Contractors affiliated with Himachal Pradesh Public Work Department decided not do any construction work of Himachal Pradesh Government in Protest against not releasing their long pending payments despite completion of alloted works.
Contractors unanimously decided to not do any work in state of Himachal Pradesh rejecting appeal of state governments to not delay state development projects.
In a meeting held at HPPWD IV the Circle Winter fields Contractors Welfare Association of HPPWD under the leadership of president Bhupinder Narwal decided to stop the work on all the construction works with effect from tomorrow.
Currently number Contractors were not paid for years by the state government following a pending litigation in the Himachal Pradesh court.
SMC contractors welfare union also decided to extend support to the call of boycott of construction work by the HPPWD Contractor Welfare Association. President of SMC contracters welfare Union Mr P N Sharma said that a meeting wad also held of union on Saturday to discuss the issue.

Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj also appealed the contractors on Saturday to not boycott the state government development projects and construction works and help the government to open snow affected roads.
With call of boycott or stoping the development works posed a constitutional crisis to state government as it could not disobey the court order or release pending dues of contractors after years of completion of contract work.
The Government also had knocked  the door of court in the matter in first week of last month but High court said in its order to set up a department Committee to ensure if contractors have ensure the compliance of government contract rules regarding submission of documents regarding procurement of construction materials.
During winter session of state assembly at Tapovan (Dharmshala) on Dec 2021  IPH Minister Mahinder Singh Thakur stated that the condition to submit the M form was imposed on the court order .
 He said that case was listed in the court in few days and government would asked it’s counsel to plead the matter .
He has also assured  that govt would seek in the Court to exempt such projects from M- form condition which are alloted before passing the court order.
 Congress MLA Asha Kumari and CPM MLA Rakesh Singha had  alleged in the house that delay of payment of contractor tune to Rs 200 Cr in the public works department due to the unnecessary conditions of M-form.

MLAs said that most of payment is being delayed of Mandi and Shimla district and contractors are not able to complete their other works due to shortage of funds.