Overview
- Contractor groups representing state project builders sent an ultimatum on Friday, warning they will stop all development work from Tuesday, April 7, unless payments begin.
- The letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar cites unpaid bills of about ₹96,000 to ₹96,400 crore owed to roughly 3 lakh contractors.
- Contractors say arrears had peaked near ₹1.16 lakh crore in the past 18 months and only about ₹20,000 crore was cleared after earlier protests.
- The biggest backlogs are in water supply schemes and roads, including about ₹35,000 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission and Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and ₹29,000 crore in the Public Works Department.
- Officials have not responded publicly, as reports tie the delays to a cash crunch from heavy welfare spending and weak revenues that could stall projects and squeeze small firms.