Pending dues of Public Works Department contractors to be paid on priority– Public Works Minister Shivendrasinh Raje Bhosale
by Prashant Kapadia/NHN
• Around ₹9,700 crore has been disbursed for pending bills
• Contractors' and engineers' associations thanked the ministerMumbai, Nov 4: Around ₹9,700 crore has been disbursed to pay the bills of Public Works Department contractors who contribute to the state’s development works. Funds have been requested for the remaining bills and will be paid as soon as they are received. Solutions to the contractors’ various difficulties will also be found positively, said Shivendrasinh Raje Bhosale, Minister of Public Works (excluding public undertakings). The Maharashtra State Contractors’ Federation and the State Engineers’ Association thanked Minister Bhosale for releasing funds for pending bills and taking positive steps to resolve their various issues.
A meeting was held at Mantralaya, chaired by Minister Bhosale, with the Federation and the Engineers’ Association on clearing pending bills and other issues. Present were PWD Secretary (Buildings) Sharad Rajbhoj, Secretary (Roads) Abasaheb Nagargoje, Deputy Secretary Suresh Naik, State Contractors’ Federation President Milind Bhosale, General Secretary Rajesh Deshmukh, and other office-bearers. Detailed discussions covered pending bills, building repair works, rising construction material prices, GST procedures, the tendering process, registration renewal, and allotment of works to educated unemployed engineers.
Minister Bhosale said pending bills of contractors doing PWD work are being paid. Bills of about 4,800 contractors handling small works below ₹1 crore have been paid in full (100%). Directions have also been given to distribute available funds immediately and resolve the pending bills issue on priority. A request has been made to the Finance Department for funds to pay building repair bills, which will be paid immediately once funds are received.
Necessary action on the proposal regarding the rise in bitumen (asphalt) prices will be taken within a week. If price rises increase the cost of a work, the department will issue a circular providing for proportionately reducing the length or scope of the road work within the available sanctioned funds. He also said the rate schedule for electrical works is in its final stage, while work on the rate schedule for civil works is underway.
Regarding difficulties caused by the revised GST payment method while paying contractors, the PWD has asked the Finance Department to reinstate the earlier procedure. A separate meeting with the Finance Department will be held to take a rule-compliant decision, Minister Bhosale said.
Even if bills are pending due to lack of funds, a positive decision will be taken to count work actually completed for contractors’ registration renewal and to extend registration deadlines. Minister Bhosale also directed that necessary instructions be issued to ensure allotment of reserved works for educated unemployed engineers, per the Government Resolution, and its effective implementation in all districts.