A FINANCIAL MESS!! DK Shivakumar Blames BJP for Contractors’ Pending Bills

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday pointed fingers at the previous BJP government for the mounting backlog of unpaid contractor bills in the state. Addressing reporters, Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru development and water resources, said contractors had taken on excessive work under the BJP regime, leaving a financial mess for the current administration.

Shivakumar revealed that projects worth Rs 1.2 lakh crore are underway in his departments alone, despite a budget allocation of just Rs 16,000 crore and available capital of Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore. "We can only release Rs 5,000 crore," he said, explaining the constraints. He met with the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA), who urged him to clear the dues, and assured them that payments would be prioritized based on seniority, with smaller contractors receiving attention first.

The Deputy CM also highlighted that Rs 5,300 crore expected from the Centre for the Upper Bhadra project remains unreleased, further straining state finances. "We won’t take up major works, but we’ll proceed as per necessity," he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, speaking on Monday, shifted some blame to the contractors, arguing that tenders were floated without budgetary backing during the BJP’s tenure. "The contractors participated, contracts were finalized, and work began. Are we responsible for the pending bills?" he questioned.

The issue has stirred political tensions. The KSCA, after meeting Siddaramaiah, alleged that corruption under the current Congress government exceeds levels seen during BJP rule. KSCA president R Manjunath accused officials of harassing contractors to expedite bill clearances and said they plan to raise the issue with Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

The unpaid bills saga revisits the Congress’s 2023 '40 per cent commission' campaign, which targeted BJP’s alleged corruption and contributed to its electoral defeat.