Contractors Protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan Over Rs 86,662 Crore in Dues
Thousands of government contractors and engineers gathered at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Tuesday to stage a protest demanding the immediate release of approximately Rs 86,662 crore in unpaid bills from the Maharashtra government.
The demonstration marked the start of a two-day statewide agitation launched by the Maharashtra State Government Contractors’ Federation. Federation representatives claimed that contractors have been waiting for their dues for more than a year, pushing thousands of firms and workers into severe financial distress. Maharashtra has over three lakh small, medium, and large contractors engaged in executing government projects.
Protesters alleged that funds allocated for clearing their dues were affected by government expenditure on welfare schemes and announcements made ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Speaking at Azad Maidan, Nashik-based contractor Ranjit Shinde claimed that the government has adopted policies that disadvantage smaller contractors. He stated that smaller project tenders are now being clubbed into larger packages, making it difficult for small and medium contractors to qualify, while larger firms win the contracts and outsource the actual work back to smaller contractors while keeping the profits.
Opposition leaders arrived at the protest site to back the federation's demands. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar joined the demonstration, alleging that contractor bills worth around Rs 90,000 crore have remained unpaid for three to eight years despite the issue being raised in the state Assembly. Congress leader Naseem Khan also extended support, stating that many engineers who took up contracting to generate employment are still awaiting dues exceeding Rs 90,000 crore for projects completed across the state during 2023-24.
Amid the agitation, the state Cabinet on Tuesday approved a mechanism to clear pending arrears of the Public Works Department (PWD). Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal stated that the government is committed to resolving the issue while continuing to fund welfare schemes for various sections, including farmers, and appealed to the contractors to call off their protest.
