Mumbai: Contractors in Maharashtra are upset with the state government for not paying them for the work they have done. They say the government owes them more than Rs 80,000 crore and are warning of a statewide protest if the money is not paid by June 10.
Work Stopped Across the State
Development work has stopped across Maharashtra due to the lack of funds. Contractors say they have not received full payments in almost one and a half years. According to Milind Bhosale, President of the Maharashtra State Contractors Association, the last major payment was made in January 2024. Only a small amount was paid in March, which was not helpful, according to the CNBC TV18 report.
Blaming the Ladki Bahin Scheme
Bhosale said that after the government launched the Ladki Bahin Scheme, payments to contractors nearly stopped. Before the scheme, about 40 per cent of the pending bills were cleared regularly. But now, only around 10 per cent of bills are being paid.
Dues Pending in Many Departments
The contractors’ association says the unpaid amount is spread across many departments.
Public Works Department (PWD): Rs 38,000 crore
Rural Development: Rs 6,500 crore
Water Conservation & Resources: Rs 12,000 crore
Urban Development: Rs 4,217 crore
Other dues are from District Planning Committees and MLA local development funds. Half of the total dues are from the PWD alone.
Legal Action and Warning
The association has already gone to court. They have filed a case in the Bombay High Court against the Rural Development Department. Bhosale said this department is giving new work to gram panchayats instead of paying old dues. They plan to file another case against the PWD if payments are not made by June 10.
No Answers from the Government
Bhosale added that the Finance Department and other officials have not given any clear answer. Contractors have written six letters to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers but have received no response.
Protest Plan from June 10
Contractors stopped work on February 5, 2025, due to the financial crisis. The association, which represents 3 lakh members across all 35 districts of Maharashtra, plans a big protest and awareness campaign across the state if their payments are not cleared by June 10.
“The government is silent, but we won’t be. We will take our protest to every part of Maharashtra,” said Bhosale.
