Bandipora, Nov 26 (KNO): Contractors in north Kashmir's Bandipora district expressed concern on Tuesday over an unprecedented delay in the release of their payments, citing reduced cash flow in the government treasury as the primary cause.
With many projects stalled due to financial strain, the contractors have urged the government to release the pending payments without any further delay.
“We have completed all the work as per the contract, but the payments have been delayed for months,” they told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
“This is severely affecting our ability to pay our workers and suppliers, and it’s becoming harder to keep projects running. We need the payments now, or we will be forced to halt all work,” they said.
Mushtaq Ahmad, one of the contractors, said due to the delay in payments, many among them are unable to manage the expenses, including labour costs and procurement of materials.
“We have been patiently waiting, but the delay is simply too much. The government promised us timely payments, but now it feels like we are being ignored,” he added.
“We are stuck in a vicious cycle. Without funds, we can’t continue with our projects, and without our projects, we can’t generate income. This is unsustainable,” said Ghulam Rasool, another local contractor.
The contractors urged the top government officials, including the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Finance, to intervene and ensure the release of payments.
Meanwhile, an official stated that they have written to the higher authorities regarding the issue and are hopeful that it will be resolved soon—(KNO)