THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the City Corporation failing to meet the deadline for clearing the dues to the contractors’ unions under its ambit, one among the three unions has called for a token agitation on Friday. While the Corporation officials say that half the payment would be made by Saturday afternoon, the contractors refuse to oblige. And have issued an ultimatum, that non-payment of dues by Onam would result in the road works coming to a complete standstill.As per an agreement reached between the Corporation and the contractors’ unions, the former was to pay Rs. 6.5 crore to the latter by August 25. The minutes of the meeting between the two parties state that the Corporation would publish the seniority list based on which the payments would be made from August 10 to 25. However, with the Corporation failing to start making the payments even after August 20, the unions had approached the local body. One among the unions have called for a token agitation in front of the Corporation main office on Friday morning.‘’It is only an indication of what is to come. We had believed their words and waited for so long. It is festival time, we have our families to support. We are not big-time contractors who can roll money endlessly. It is high time the Corporation kept its word,’’ said a member of one of the contractors’ unions. The Corporation, on the other hand, is caught in a deep financial crisis. ‘’We had intensified our tax collection. This is the time professional taxes are paid. So, we have now parted with the professional tax money to keep our word. We have arranged for Rs. 3.5 crore to be paid by Saturday afternoon. The rest will be paid before Onam,’’ said Works panel Chairman V S Padmakumar. According to the contractors, the Corporation has a total dues of Rs. 26 crore in different road works. An unlisted Rs. 20 crore is also pending.
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