Hyderabad: Contractors working on small budgets in Telangana are threatening to shut down government and local body schools if their unpaid bills for the ‘Mana Ooru-Mana Badi’ projects are not settled by the State government.
Many contractors from across the state gathered at the Directorate of School Education in Hyderabad on Monday to protest. They have given the government a 15-day deadline to pay their bills.
These contractors claim that the government has been settling bills for ‘Amma Adarsha Patashalas’ but has ignored payments for ‘Mana Ooru-Mana Badi’ projects for several months. They report that while Rs 1,000 crore worth of work has been completed, Rs 300 crore in bills remain unpaid.
The contractors criticize the government for allegedly favoring large contractors with available funds for big projects, while neglecting smaller contractors who have worked on important school infrastructure.
“If the government does not pay within 15 days, we will lock the schools with pending bills the next day. Teachers and students will not be allowed entry. Our families will join us in protest at these schools,” said Ajmeera Jawaharlal, a contractor from Warangal. “We have also submitted a complaint to Dr. Naveen Nicolas, the Director of School Education.”
The previous BRS government launched the ‘Mana Ooru-Mana Badi’ initiative in 9,000 government and local body schools across Telangana. Over 1,000 small-budget contractors took on development projects in these schools. Although some projects were completed, others were left unfinished during the change in government. After the Congress government took over, many contractors finished the remaining work, expecting the new administration to clear their dues. However, they say their bills have been pending for months.
