JKCCC raises concern over months-long treasury payment delays; demands immediate clearance of all dues

• Chairman Jeelani Purza demands overhaul of R&B Department; calls for structural reforms and regular postings
• Demands release of ₹175 cr pending payments in R&B Department and ₹1100 cr pending under Jal Jeevan Mission

SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCC) Chairman, Ghulam Jeelani Purza, has raised multiple pressing issues that are severely affecting the contractor fraternity in Jammu & Kashmir.

In a statement issued to the press, Jeelani Purza said, “I speak today on behalf of thousands of contractors across Jammu & Kashmir who are deeply distressed due to three major problems: delays in treasury payments, reorganization / mismanagement in the R&B Department restructuring and the non-release of payments under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).”

Purza expressed shock that bills submitted to the treasuries several months ago have still not been cleared. “This is a serious financial crisis. When the LG administration was in place, bills would get cleared within 4–5 days. But since the formation of the newly elected government, the process is dragging on for 2–4 months. Why are our payments stuck in the treasuries?” he questioned.

He appealed to Hon’ble Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the finance department portfolio, as well as to Financial Commissioner Shaleen Kabra and Principal Secretary of the Public Works Department, Anil Kumar Singh, to intervene. “Contractors are not spending personal funds; these are the wages of labourers, payments of suppliers and vendors. Delaying them disrupts the entire economic chain. The government talks of development, but how will that happen when the basic financial system is stuck?” he asked.

The Chairman strongly criticized the reorganization of the Roads & Buildings (R&B) Department, calling it a governance failure. “Several new divisions were announced, Chief Engineers and Executive Engineers were appointed, but there is no infrastructure on the ground, no office spaces, no technical staff. How are these divisions expected to function?”

He demanded the appointment of one Chief Engineer each for the Kashmir and Jammu provinces, in line with the model followed by the Irrigation Department, PHE, KPDCL and other departments. “There aren’t enough engineers to run all these newly created divisions. One officer is currently holding charge of multiple offices including ERA, North Kashmir, South Kashmir and now Central Kashmir. This overload is unmanageable and inefficient,” he stated.

Purza further noted that the reorganization has led to widespread chaos. “Even the former Chief Engineers of PMGSY and R&B Chief Engineer Central Kashmir have retired. The government is only appointing in-charge officials instead of making regular postings. This is resulting in a governance vacuum,” he said.

Highlighting a third major issue, Purza pointed to the ₹175 crore in pending payments that have been stuck in the R&B Department since 2017 in Jammu & Kashmir. “How can we complete the remaining works when we have no funds left?” he asked. Referring to the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), he said, “Contractors have laid pipelines, built reservoirs, filtration plants and completed major works under the JJM. But over ₹1100 crore in payments are still pending.”

He made a strong appeal to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Principal Secretary Shaleen Kabra and the Chairman of the Jal Jeevan Mission Committee to urgently expedite the submission of the JJM report to the government. “Until the report is submitted and the necessary funds are released, most of the developmental work will remain at a standstill.

The contractor community continues to face immense hardship due to this delay. It is also extremely unfortunate that ₹175 crore have remained unpaid in the R&B Department since 2017, this long-standing issue reflects serious neglect.”

In his concluding remarks, Chairman Jeelani Purza issued a strong & unified appeal: “I request CM Omar Abdullah, Financial Commissioner and the Principal Secretary of the Public Works Department, along with Jal Jeevan Mission authorities, to immediately resolve these issues. The contractor community is the backbone of infrastructure development in the J&K. Delays in payments and poor planning will paralyse progress.”