Hyderabad, Dec. 31 (Maxim News): Mana Ooru Mana Badi bills worth Rs 512 crore remain unpaid, prompting former minister Harish Rao to strongly question the Telangana government’s alleged neglect of contractors linked to the school infrastructure programme.
On Wednesday, Mana Ooru Mana Badi contractors met Harish Rao and submitted a memorandum detailing their financial distress.
Speaking later, Harish Rao said contractors across Telangana were facing severe economic hardship due to non release of pending bills.
Harish asked why the government was ignoring small contractors while clearing bills of large contractors. He questioned whether bills were delayed because commissions were not involved.
Harsih demanded that the government immediately release Rs 512 crore worth of Mana Ooru Mana Badi bills that are marked ready for payment.
Harish Rao said the delay had pushed contractors into debt and uncertainty. He also alleged that the Chief Minister, who also holds the education portfolio, showed no seriousness towards education.
Harish Rao said the BRS would continue its struggle until Mana Ooru Mana Badi bills are cleared. He recalled that the programme was designed to improve government schools, increase admissions, and provide quality education to poor and middle class children. However, he alleged that the present government was weakening this objective.
Rao criticised the government by saying it failed even to ensure proper food for Gurukul students. He added that contractors were suffering due to bank interest, workers’ wages, and pending payments to suppliers. According to him, the government’s failure to pay on time reflects administrative inefficiency.
Contractors who attended the meeting said they undertook school development works by borrowing money. They stated that after the Congress government came to power, bill payments stopped.
As a result, they were forced to take further loans to pay interest, making it difficult to run their families. They appealed for immediate intervention to resolve the crisis. (Maxim News)
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