VIZIANAGARAM:
S. Vijaya Kumar, the State President of the Andhra Pradesh Building Contractors’ Association, has made an urgent appeal to the government to settle outstanding bills amounting to approximately ₹3,000 crore. He emphasized that payments should be processed on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis, rather than prioritizing individuals with influence.
In Vizianagaram, the Municipal Contractors’ Welfare Association recently organized a protest at the Corporator’s office. Their demand for immediate bill clearance stems from a deep financial crisis impacting numerous contractors, who are struggling due to the extensive delays in receiving their due payments.
During Monday’s address to the protesting contractors, Mr. Vijaya Kumar called upon the government to initiate a meeting to address their concerns. Key discussion points include the restrictive timeframes for uploading bills on the Nidhi portal, the complexities of the double auditing process, and the perceived preferential treatment in bill clearances for influential parties.
Bandaru Bangarraju, president of the Vizianagaram Municipal Contractors Welfare Association, highlighted the severe impact of delayed payments. He stated that many contractors are currently unable to undertake new projects, experiencing considerable financial strain and a critical shortage of operational funds as a direct result of the Corporation’s prolonged payment delays.
Further amplifying these concerns, representatives from several other associations, including Attada Chinnam Naidu, P.V.V. Nagaraju, M. Lingaro, P. Ashok, and Ravindranath, also voiced their distress and implored the government to provide a swift resolution to their long-standing grievances.