Ahmedabad metro project vendors agitate against non-payment of Rs 70 cr dues
In the capital of Gujarat, over 60 vendors associated with the Ahmedabad metro project are sitting on a ‘dharna’ in Gandhinagar for protesting against non-payment of dues of about Rs 70 crore.These vendors state that their dues are pending since last six months.
Jatin Bhayani, chairman of MEGA Vendor Welfare Association which was formed recently around October 2013 alleged, that between May-July 2013 ,we had enforced work costing about Rs 110 crore for the metro project, which largely involved supplying earth-filling material. So far only the payment of 40 crores has been received out of which last payment was received in July 2013.Due to these non payment dues 60 vendors and 1200 families have been affected.
On Saturday Bhayani said, “The purchase orders for the work we executed were given when Sanjay Gupta was at the helm of MEGA (Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad—- a special purpose vehicle formed by the Gujarat government that is in-charge of executing the project). After Gupta resigned, a new management took over in September 2013, and our money has been pending since then.”
Earth-filling material
The vendors assert that the earth-filling material which was supplied to MEGA was for Koba and nearby areas. As MEGA has redrawn the route map after the new management took over ,now these areas do not fall on the metro route .Bhayani further added , that the on-going demonstration against the state-government run company, constituted of civil contractors, transporters, equipment and machinery suppliers and the workers associated with them.
He further mentioned, that a discount of 20 percent was even asked on their past bills by the new management who took overhand agreeing on that they even generated fresh invoices. Still their dues are not being paid inspite of their repeated requests.
On 11 March 2014, a letter has also been written to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi by the MEGA Vendor Welfare Association in this regard .Though as per members no solid action has been taken so far.
The present director and vice-chairman of MEGA, IP Gautam ,when contacted on the issue alleged, while we checked the biils lot of discrepancies were found and the works that were executed by these vendors. A technical team has been looking after this matter and as soon as the scrutiny is completed, payment of these bills will be released.
Gautam added, meetings are being conducted with the association members and more time is been taken as the scrutiny is taking time. But they want us to release payments right away.
Source: Financial Express
Ahmedabad metro project, Civil contractors, Earth-filling material, Equipment, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, IP Gautam, Jatin Bhayani, Koba, Machinery suppliers, MEGA, Narendra Modi, Sanjay Gupta, State government, Transporters, Vendor Welfare Association, Workers
