2 weeks Ago By Daily Excelsior
Excelsior CorrespondentSRINAGAR, Mar 15: General Secretary of the Jammu & Kashmir Central Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCCC), Farooq Ahmad Dar, has strongly contested the Chief Minister’s recent statement on contractor payments for the fiscal year 2024-25. The Chief Minister claimed that Rs 6,184 crore had been paid to contractors and all bills up to January 7, 2025, had been cleared.However, Dar countered that while funds may have been released by Government departments, they had not yet been disbursed from state treasuries.
He expressed concern that the treasuries were empty, leaving numerous payments pending. He also raised alarm over the non-release of more than 30% of the Capex budget, cautioning that a significant portion of development funds might lapse with the financial year nearing its end.While addressing a press meet, Dar highlighted major pending payments, including Rs 700 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs 785 crore for post-flood restoration work since 2014, and Rs 400 crore for the Public Health Engineering Department.
He warned that these financial delays could severely impact ongoing projects.Additionally, he called for a probe into irregularities in the e-tendering process. He questioned the exemption of tenders up to Rs 10 lakh from e-tendering and the approval of unconditional tenders up to Rs 5 crore.
He pointed out that nearly 50-60% of tenders were not being collected, indicating potential discrepancies.Dar also raised concerns over a 64% reduction in bid amounts for tenders in the Estates Department, suggesting possible collusion and corruption. He urged higher authorities to take swift action to ensure transparency and fairness in the tendering system.
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