Fund crunch halts 19 Karnal MC projects

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 4

Fund crunch has halted 19 ongoing development projects within municipal corporation (MC) limits in Karnal as contractors have ‘stopped’ work on the projects worth Rs 7.07 crore.

Most of the projects, including laying of interlocking paver blocks and various construction of roads, augmentation of water supply and internal drainage stormwater pipelines in various areas were going on in the newly regularised colonies — Basant Vihar, Hakikat Nagar, Ward 2, Ward 1, Palam Colony, Kanika Vihar, Ranwar road, Kunjpura road near Budhakhera village and others, said sources in the MC.

The contractors say in the absence of clearance of bills they are not able to continue their work. They have approached all officials to release them the payment, but they have not got any positive response, forcing them to halt the development works.

“We have no option, but to stop the development works as the funds have not been released to us. We have approached all officials of the MC, but to no avail,” said a contractor.

Another contractor said on the condition of anonymity that due to halting of works they had been suffering losses, but without funds they could not continue the work.

Councillors are also facing problem due to halting of the works and people are approaching them to get these resumed. “Most of the development works have been stopped in Ward 1 which is my ward. I have requested the contractors to start the work and also requested the Commissioner, MC, and the Joint Commissioner to clear the bills of the contractors, but they have told me that due to fund crunch they are not able to release the funds,” said Naveen Kumar, a councillor. The sources said there was fund crunch due to the pandemic.

Officials and the Mayor said their payments would be released soon and asked them to restart their work. “The government will release the payment of all bills to the contractors and I urge them to resume their works, so that people do not face any difficulty,” said Mayor Renu Bala Gupta.

“We have requested the state government to release the funds as the contractors have stopped the work. Most probably, the funds will be received in 10 to 15 days and the works will be resumed. We plan to complete the works in all 35 deficient colonies in the next three months,” said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Commissioner, MC.