BBMP contractors weighed down by outstanding bills

By Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: It seems all is not well between Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and contractors when it comes to clearing outstanding bills. The BBMP has not cleared bills worth more than Rs 3,250 crore since November 2019.

The BBMP has introduced a process to clear outstanding bills on seniority basis more than five years ago, but the contractors allege that the BBMP authorities have found other methods to clear outstanding bills of select contractors, who are ready to bribe them.

“The delay in releasing funds is causing a lot of problems for contractors who borrowed money from private people and financial institutions to complete the developmental works. I came to know that a few selected contractors are managing to get their bills cleared by producing hospital bills or marriage invitation cards. The contractor has to pay three per cent of the total money to the BBMP top official, two per cent to other officials and one per cent for the engineer who recom - mends to higher officials to release funds,” said a contractor pleading anonymity.

It may be recalled that a BBMP contractor ended his life on January 6, 2021 due to the financial distress allegedly caused by unpaid bills by the BBMP. It is said the contractor – Vani Krishnam Raju had executed many developmental works in Rajajinagar.

“The BBMP cleared all the unpaid bills after my uncle’s death,’’ said Manju, a relative of late Vani Krishnam Raju. On November 23, 2020, a group of contractors staged a protest at the BBMP Head Office against the delay in clearing their unpaid bills. Meanwhile, BBMP Contractors’ Association president KT Manjunath has alleged that a few contractors who have the support of MLAs and former corporators and officials working at the Chief Minister’s Office are managing to get their unpaid bills cleared.

“The BBMP is not clearing the unpaid bills on a priority or seniority basis for the last 29 months. I demand the BBMP authorities to clear all the unpaid bills without any delay,” said Manjunath.