Private contractors protest non-payment of dues by NDMC

The contractors said at least ₹400 crore was due and that they were unable to pay labourers and suppliers for work on drains and roads done for the north municipality more than five years ago.

A group of 500 private contractors have threatened to stage a protest against the North Delhi Municipal Corporation over non-payment of dues since 2014.

A group of 40 private contractors have threatened to stage a protest against the North Delhi Municipal Corporation over non-payment of dues since 2014. (Photo by / Hindustan Times) Representative Image

The contractors said at least ₹500 crore was due and that they were unable to pay labourers and suppliers for work on drains and roads done for the north municipality more than five years ago.

“We have stopped picking up tenders floated by the north corporation but that is still not getting us the money due to us,” said Sukhwinder Singh Lamba, a contractor. “We don’t care anymore if development work stops because of that. We are unable to run our houses, submit our children’s school fees and electricity bills,” he said.

“We are in a pitiable financial position now. Some of us have stopped going home because lenders, from whom we took money to execute north MCD’s works, have deployed henchmen outside our homes. We kept working for the corporation cause they kept assuring us that our dues will be paid,” said another contractor, Gurmeet Singh.

North municipality mayor Avtar Singh said the corporation was going through a monetary crisis but had been trying to release some amount to the businessmen every month. “I understand what they are going through but we are trying our best,” Avtar Singh said.

“I hope to make substantial payments to them soon,” north body commissioner Varsha Joshi said.