Maharashtra contractors launch phone campaign after 10 suicides for ₹86,000cr
Contractors in Maharashtra are kicking off a phone campaign today, asking the chief minister and his deputies to finally clear ₹86,000 crore in overdue payments.
After waiting 18 months, and with 10 contractor suicides reported, the Maharashtra State Contractors Association says it's done being ignored and hopes this move will get the government's attention.
Jal Jeevan Mission owes ₹38,000cr
The unpaid bills cover several departments: Public Works owes ₹27,000 crore, Jal Jeevan Mission ₹38,000 crore, and big amounts from Tribal and Rural Development.
With Diwali coming up and no solution after repeated protests, Milind Bhosale, president of the Maharashtra State Contractors Association (MSCA), said, "No ministers or secretaries are picking up the phone, and no one is showing the courage to answer us. In this serious situation, we will now try to wake them up. Around 300,000 contractors across Maharashtra will call the top ministers' offices and ask whether they intend to pay our bills."
The hope is that this campaign finally sparks some action.