The BBMP Contractors’ Association that has been objecting to the changes introduced by the civic body to streamline the payment system has threatened to strike work if the old system is not reintroduced in another one month.
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Speaking to The Hindu, BBMP Contractors’ Association president R. Ambikapathy said, “The new payment system is troubling all 5,000 BBMP contractors where everyone has to go and get approval for their files from the zonal commissioners. Earlier, payments were cleared by officers like assistant, executive and chief engineers of the BBMP.”
Apart from this, the association also alleged that there are ₹2,500 crore of bills pending to be paid to contractors by the BBMP in the last two years. “ We have given the civic body a month to go back to the earlier system, or we will be forced to strike work,” Mr. Ambikapathy added.
Meanwhile, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said that the allegations from the association are far from the truth. “The new system will benefit the contractors and it is transparent. Earlier payments were delayed for 24 months, but now, through the new system, payments will be made in 22 months. Further, we are trying to reduce this time to 15 months in the future.”