Contractors stage protest in Shivamogga seeking the release of dues

Contractors belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shivamogga on Friday, demanding that the government clear dues pending for over four years.

The contractors, from all seven taluks of the district, gathered under the banner of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Contractors Association. They said the delay in releasing the dues had put them in severe financial difficulty. Many of them had borrowed money from banks and other financial institutions to execute works, and were now on the verge of losing their properties as the lenders had begun proceedings to take them over for non-repayment of loans.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the office-bearers said that they were finding it difficult even to pay their children’s school fees and were unable to lead their lives with confidence and self-respect.