SHILLONG: The Khasi Jaintia Government Contractor and Supplier Association (KJGCSA) met with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today to express the severe hardships contractors are facing due to the central government’s delay in releasing funds for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme.
In response, the Chief Minister promised to find ways to release funds directly from the state treasury to assist the affected contractors.
Speaking to media persons, KJGCSA President Welcome Langi shared that the total pending amount for clearing these bills stands at around ₹900 crore. The Chief Minister assured the delegation that he would hold discussions with the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister to see how a portion of the state fund can be released to ease the financial distress currently impacting the contractors.
Regarding the delay in releasing the funds, the Chief Minister informed that it is due to the excessive number of guidelines, conditions, and rectifications mandated by the Central Ministry. Because the department has not yet been able to fully comply with all these requirements, the release of funds from the Central Government has been significantly delayed.
To find a solution to this complication, the Chief Minister stated that a NITI Aayog meeting is scheduled for the 11th of this month, where he will have the opportunity to directly present and discuss this grievance before the Prime Minister of the country.
In addition to the JJM scheme, the contractors also took the opportunity to voice their concerns to the Chief Minister regarding the lack of work opportunities for indigenous local contractors. This is because many government departments are currently floating tenders in massive packages, which poses a huge challenge as small-scale and local contractors lack the financial capacity to compete for such projects. On this matter, the Chief Minister promised that he would convene a meeting with the PWD Minister to properly streamline and rectify this tendering system, especially for schemes that are funded directly by the state government.
Commenting on the payment of the bills, Langi stated that they do not expect to receive the entire ₹900 crore at once, but rather a portion to help sustain and keep their ongoing works afloat. The association also pointed out that while the state was ideally supposed to enter the second phase, or JJM Phase II, many contractors have been unable to complete their works under JJM Phase I. Consequently, they have to continue with the initial phase, and many contractors have slowed down their pace of work because the government has failed to release the required funds in a timely manner.
