K'taka contractors announce statewide strike on March 31

Bengaluru, Feb 9 (PTI) The Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA) on Monday announced a state-wide strike on March 31 here demanding immediate release of long-pending bills and warning that ongoing works across Karnataka would be halted if the government failed to act.

The association said contractors across the state would suspend works and participate in large numbers, stating that repeated representations to the Ggovernment had yielded no results despite mounting dues running into tens of thousands of crores,.

In a release, the association alleged the government had been withholding payments for years.

“The Government of Karnataka has been holding back contractors’ pending dues to the tune of approximately Rs 37,000 crore across various

departments over a four-year period covering the financial year starting 2022-23,” it alleged. PTI GMS SA