Karnataka - Bangalore   

Contractors call off stir as BMP promises to clear bills

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 25. Civil contractors who were protesting over non-clearance of bills by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) called off their four-day strike on Thursday after the Mahanagara Palike Commissioner, M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy, promised that bills for works completed in June, July and August 2003 would be cleared by the end of this month.

Though the commissioner told the contractors on Wednesday that bills of June and July would be cleared initially, the contractors refused to accept the settlement. They even wanted the Minister for Bangalore City Development, Ramalinga Reddy, to intervene in the matter.

Today, members of the Karnataka State Contractors Association staged a dharna in front of the Mahanagara Palike head office and shouted slogans seeking immediate payment. They dispersed only after the Engineer-in-Chief, Ramegowda, told them that the commissioner would meet them. The association's general secretary, D. Kempanna, told The Hindu that the commissioner had promised to issue cheques before March 31 for works completed in June, July and August last year.

"He has agreed to clear the bills of September, October, November and December 2003 by the end of June. The commissioner has also promised to clear a backlog of two months every month and issue regular Letters of Credit (LoC) thereafter," Mr. Kempanna said.

He said the contractors would resume all works on Friday. "We hope to get paid regularly henceforth," he added.

Besides the commissioner and Mr. Ramegowda, the Additional Commissioner (Finance), P.K. Srihari, and other officials were present at the meeting with the association members.

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