Say pending dues threaten water supply projects and labourers
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Contractors associated with Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Uttarakhand have warned of a statewide agitation if pending payments for completed works are not released soon, claiming the financial crisis is now affecting contractors, suppliers and labourers across the state.
Addressing the media at the Uttaranchal Press Club, representatives of the joint front of JJM contractors’s organisations alleged that dues for works executed under the Centre’s flagship rural drinking water scheme have remained unpaid through the 2025-26 financial year.
The front’s State convenor Anand Singh Rana claimed that contractors completed work on nearly 15,500 schemes across more than 16,000 villages despite difficult terrain and remote locations. He claimed that most contractors financed projects through personal savings and bank loans, as payments from the government were delayed. “The pace of the remaining work has slowed because contractors are no longer in a position to invest further,” Rana said, adding that many are now under severe financial stress.
The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched to provide functional household tap connections in rural areas and Uttarakhand has relied heavily on contractors and labour for pipeline networks, storage tanks and village-level water infrastructure. Contractors stated that delayed fund release is now disrupting ongoing execution and maintenance work in several districts.
The front’s representatives announced a phased protest programme, including a dharna in Dehradun on June 16. Co-convenor Prashant Gupta alleged that pipe suppliers who provided material on credit are also facing losses. General secretary Hemendra Chauhan said that thousands of local and migrant labourers working in remote forest and mountainous areas were facing considerable hardship due to unpaid wages. He said that the State government should secure funds from the Centre or arrange interim financial support to prevent further escalation of the crisis.
