Chamarajnagar/Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar Wednesday said the govt was ready to initiate discussions with contractors over pending bills, even as he attributed the financial burden to works sanctioned without budgetary provision by the previous BJP govt.Speaking in Chamarajanagar, Shivakumar said the financial crisis had arisen after BS Yediyurappa govt issued tenders and sanctioned works without allocating funds. With several of those works now nearing completion, bills have accumulated, he said.“I’m aware that contractors are struggling to make ends meet. I shall discuss the issue with them,” he said.On Karnataka State Contractors’ Association’s allegation that departments were seeking commissions to release payments, Shivakumar challenged the contractors to provide evidence. “Let them file an affidavit naming those seeking these percentages, including ministers, and I will order an inquiry,” he said.Association president R Manjunath said contractors would wait for the CM’s next move. “We hope the CM will call talks and resolve the crisis as he said in Chamarajanagar. If that does not happen, we are ready to take the battle to the streets,” Manjunath said.The association plans to hold padayatras from its offices to deputy commissioner offices in all 31 districts to highlight what it described as the state’s worsening financial situation.Manjunath also proposed a public “truth test” involving ministers over the commission allegations. “If the govt does not respond, we will invite ministers to take a truth test before gods they believe in on whether percentages are being sought,” he said.The association claims around 60,000 contractors have pending payments from the govt. It has about 1.5 lakh registered contractors.Manjunath also alleged that the commissions demanded from contractors had increased compared to the previous govt and claimed that contractors’ pending payments were being diverted to fund the govt’s guarantee schemes.“We have no connection with the guarantee schemes. The govt should arrange funds from other sources and release our money,” he said.He also warned that if the govt failed to release pending payments by Nov, the association would release documents related to alleged commission payments.
