Barak Valley JJM contractors await 23 months’ dues, demands Assam CM’s intervention

The Barak Valley PHED Contractors Association has submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, seeking urgent intervention for the release of their long-pending payments under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

In the memorandum, the contractors highlighted that since the launch of the flagship scheme “Har Ghar Nal, Har Ghar Jal” in Assam during 2020-21, many unemployed youth and engineers from the Barak Valley came forward to work under the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) to fulfill the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every rural household.

The association stated that despite facing numerous challenges, the contractors successfully executed and completed the assigned projects with full dedication. Their works, they noted, were verified through third-party monitoring, including inspections by reputed institutions such as IIT, and found to be satisfactory.

Also Read: Assam: Fake anti-corruption officer busted in Badarpur, police suspect bigger fraud racket

However, the contractors expressed deep concern over the non-release of their bills for the past 23 months, which has pushed many into severe financial distress. “Most of us have taken loans from banks and financial institutions to complete the works, and the non-payment has now become an unbearable burden,” the memorandum said.

The association has placed five key demands before the Chief Minister: immediate release of pending payments, refund of the 6% GST difference paid in excess (18% instead of 12%), release of security deposits deducted at source, activation of the IMIS portal for uploading bills, and an end to frequent changes in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The contractors appealed for “kind and humanitarian action” on their demands to inspire them to continue contributing to the government’s flagship programme in the larger public interest.

Copies of the memorandum have also been forwarded to the PHED Mission Director, Chief Engineer, Additional Chief Engineer of Barak Valley Zone, Superintendent Engineer of Cachar Circle, and other senior officials connected with the JJM project.