Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 10 (HBTV): The Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) has called for a statewide strike and massive protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on February 12, demanding clearance of long-pending bills and accusing the state government of ignoring repeated appeals.
The association said contractors across the state are owed payments amounting to nearly INR 37,000 crore from various government departments over the past four years. According to the KSCA, multiple meetings with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, ministers and senior officials have failed to yield any concrete outcome.
The association stated that an official meeting with the Chief Minister is inevitable if the issues faced by contractors are to be resolved, adding that sustained agitation is the only way to draw the government’s attention to their demands.
The KSCA alleged that despite several interactions with the Chief Minister, ministers and departmental secretaries, no official meeting has been held for more than two years, with scheduled meetings being postponed indefinitely without specific reasons.
It further claimed that repeated representations made to the Public Works Department minister and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar have also not led to any resolution, despite assurances that meetings would be convened.
The association recalled that its office bearers had held a press conference on January 29, 2026, demanding immediate release of outstanding bills, maintenance of contractor seniority, and disbursal of funds in a single instalment on a priority basis. It warned that ongoing works across the state would be stopped if the demands were not met, but said these efforts too failed to bring any response from the government.
Appealing to contractors from all districts, the KSCA urged them to stop work and participate in the February 12 strike in large numbers to ensure its success. It added that the state president and office bearers are personally visiting districts to hold preliminary meetings and mobilise support for the protest.
(ANI)