Development work across Maharashtra has come to a halt under the weight of an unprecedented ₹89,000 crore in unpaid bills, prompting a major protest by contractors in Nagpur on Monday. Members of the Maharashtra State Contractors Federation and the Nagpur Contractors Association staged a demonstration outside the District Collector’s office, demanding immediate clearance of dues.
Shouting slogans, the contractors alleged that state government departments have been sitting on bills for months, crippling their financial stability. In a memorandum submitted to the Additional District Collector, they detailed the scale of arrears: ₹40,000 crore with the Public Works Department (PWD), ₹12,000 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission, ₹6,000 crore with the Rural Development Department, ₹13,000 crore under water conservation and irrigation, and ₹18,000 crore under the Urban Development Department’s DPC and other schemes.
“The situation is so dire that contractors are unable to pay staff or suppliers. One of our colleagues, Harshal Patil from Sangli, was even driven to suicide because of non-payment. If the government doesn’t act immediately, we will be forced to take extreme steps,” said Subodh Sarode, president of the Nagpur Contractors Association.
The associations have announced a dramatic escalation: if dues are not cleared, contractors will hold a “Begging Agitation” at Constitution Chowk on August 25 to draw attention to their plight.
Among those leading the protest were Sanjay Maind, Nitin Salve, Rupesh Randive, Parag Munje, Naresh Khumkar, Kaushik Deshmukh, and several other contractor leaders.
The contractors warned that if the crisis continues, it could derail infrastructure projects statewide and trigger mass unrest in the sector.
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