Scores of contractors protested against Block Development Officer (BDO) Kellar in South Kashmir’s Shopian, alleging rampant corruption.
Despite completed work, the demonstrators claimed that the BDO demands a 30% commission to release pending bills.
“We have done our work, but the BDO refuses to clear our payments unless we pay bribes,” said a contractor.
“Those who cave into his demands get their bills cleared instantly, regardless of work quality,” the protesters said..
Another contractor, who worked under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), said: “I refused to pay a bribe, and now my bills are stuck. It’s unfair to expect us to pay for doing our job.
The protesters appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, seeking his intervention to address the corruption and ensure the BDO’s immediate transfer from Kellar Block.
Efforts to contact Deputy Commissioner Shopian and other senior officials proved futile.
When contacted the BDO in question told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the Kellar Block is grappling with a whopping liability of Rs 6 Crore, despite receiving a meager fund of Rs 47 lakh.
The BDO attributed the delay in payments to contractors to the severe fund crunch. “We can’t release payments to everyone due to the lack of funds,” he explained. [KNT]