Bengaluru, March 3 (IANS) A delegation from the state Contractors’ Association met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday demanding the release of Rs 30,000 crore in pending bills.
The Karnataka government assured them of releasing the funds as when it was feasible but slammed the previous governments in the state for the situation.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that the previous BJP government issued tenders without earmarking funds in the budget, and contractors went ahead and took up the work.
Speaking to the media about the meeting, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated, “The contractors informed me that Rs 30,000 crore worth of bills are pending with the government. They demanded the release of Rs 15,000 crore in April. I conveyed that this is not possible but assured them that we will release as much as we can.”
When asked about the Contractors’ Association’s claim that they would meet the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge if the government did not clear the pending bills, CM Siddaramaiah responded, “If they want to meet them, let them. I have no objection to anyone meeting anybody. However, we must consider our financial situation before releasing funds.”
He further questioned how such a large amount of pending bills had accumulated.
“Why did this much money remain unpaid? When tenders were called without reserving funds, why did they participate? The previous BJP government issued tenders without earmarking funds in the budget, and contractors went ahead and took up the work. That is how the pending bills piled up. Are we responsible for this?” he asked.
When asked whether the contractors were applying pressure tactics, CM Siddaramaiah said, “They can complain to anyone, but we must release funds based on the state’s financial condition. We are not against clearing pending bills.”
On the issue of commission charges, CM Siddaramaiah asserted that contractors should not pay commissions.
“Why should they pay? They should simply refuse. Both the giver and the receiver of a bribe are guilty,” he stated.
“No one should pay commissions. We are not taking commissions. Till date, I have never asked for money to release funds or clear pending bills,” he maintained.
CM Siddaramaiah also spoke about the Joint Business Advisory Committee meeting, stating that all Opposition leaders and members were present. He outlined the legislative schedule, mentioning that discussions on the Governor’s address would take place over three days.
“I will respond to the discussion on the Governor’s speech, and the following day, I will answer related questions in the council. On March 7, I will present the budget for 2025-26,” he said.
Discussions on the budget will continue until March 19, after which he will respond to the Assembly’s discussions. “On March 20, I will address the budget discussions in the council,” CM Siddaramaiah added.
When asked about expectations from his budget, CM Siddaramaiah remarked, “The budget is a confidential document. I cannot reveal details.”
–IANS
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