The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has halted the contractor payment process after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on March 16. The BBMP stopped approving new payments for the works completed between 2019-20 and 2022-23. The works were executed under the BBMP grants.
BBMP Special Commissioner (finance), Shivananda Kalakere told The Hindu: “We halted the process of issuing fresh approvals for the payments as MCC came into being.” He said the payments of earlier approved bills were almost cleared.
Mr. Kalakere said he would shortly be inviting the contractors for a meeting to discuss payments and randomisation. It should be noted that contractors have expressed unhappiness over BBMP bringing back randomisation and the TVCC inspection system which was stopped after the Special Investigation Teams (SIT) were formed. Now, as the SITs are dissolved and Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das has expressed helplessness to probe within the stipulated deadline set by the High Court, the BBMP has brought back the randomisation system.
The BBMP Contractors’ Association president, K.T. Manjunath alleged that the civic body has not cleared approved bills for over a month now. “The MCC will not apply for clearing the bills which were already approved. The BBMP had told contractors that bills were approved,” he alleged.
Mr. Manjunath further alleged that the BBMP received oral instructions from the government to freeze payments during elections. “The contractors are facing harassment from the civic body and this has to stop. On the other hand, there was no requirement for reintroducing randomisation and TVCC as the defect and liability period has ended for the completed work. What is point of inspection again to clear the bills?,” he asked.