Contractors call for statewide protest on March 5

Contractors in Karnataka have announced a massive protest against the state government over the non-payment of pending bills amounting to thousands of crores. Alleging that the Congress-led government has failed to clear long-standing dues, the Contractors’ Association has called for a statewide agitation on March 5. The decision was taken during a preparatory meeting held at the Public Works Department (PWD) office premises in Mandya. The meeting was led by State President of the Contractors’ Association, R. Manjunath, who warned the government of intensified action if immediate steps are not taken to release the funds.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Manjunath claimed that the government has withheld nearly Rs 37,000 crore in payments to contractors across the state. In Mandya district alone, pending bills reportedly amount to Rs 950 crore. He said the delay has pushed contractors into severe financial distress.

“Even for small-scale works, payments are not being cleared. Many contractors have completed projects by borrowing money at high interest rates. Now, they are struggling to repay loans and manage mounting interest burdens,” he stated.

Manjunath further alleged that repeated appeals to the government have gone unheard. He accused the current administration of allowing corruption and commission practices to worsen compared to the previous BJP government. “Those who once stood with us are now ignoring our plight. The very leaders who came to power with our support are neglecting us,” he said. He warned that if the government fails to release the pending dues immediately, contractors will demonstrate their strength through large-scale protests.

The March 5 agitation is expected to draw participation from contractors across Karnataka. Recently, the State Contractors’ Representative Association had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, highlighting that approximately Rs 33,000 crore related to various development works remains unpaid. The association urged the government to clear the dues without further delay to prevent disruption of ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects.

Contractors have made it clear that unless concrete action is taken soon, work on development projects across the state could be severely affected.