Tezpur, August 20, 2025 (Wednesday): Contractors working under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Assam staged a two-hour sit-in protest near the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Office, Tezpur Circle-1. The protest was organized by the All Assam Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Contractors’ Union demanding the release of long-pending payments.
The contractors, who have been carrying out drinking water supply works under the central government’s flagship scheme, expressed anger over not receiving their dues for nearly 21 months. They stated that despite continuous efforts by the government to ensure safe drinking water under the scheme, the payments for their completed works have not been cleared.
During the strike, the union also submitted a memorandum to the Executive Engineer of the department and the Chief Minister of Assam. The letter highlighted the hardships faced by the contractors, including financial struggles due to unpaid bills.
Many contractors said they had taken loans by mortgaging their homes and land to complete the projects. With no payments, they are now unable to repay banks, leading to seizure notices on their properties and a drop in their credit ratings. Distressingly, the union pointed out that some contractors, unable to cope with the pressure, had even been driven to take extreme steps like suicide.
The Contractors’ Key Demands:
- Immediate release of all pending payments.
- Prompt payment of GST amounts collected from contractors.
- Quick resolution of IMIS (payment system) complications.
- Stop introducing new SOPs (guidelines) that create additional hurdles.
- Release all bills that have already received financial approval.
- Keep the State Owned Priority Development (SOPD) scheme on hold until all pending payments of Jal Jeevan Mission contractors are cleared.
- Begin the Jal Mitra training program at the earliest.
The protesters said they are not against the Jal Jeevan Mission but insisted that without clearing past payments, it is impossible for contractors to continue their work. They urged both the Assam government and the central authorities to take urgent steps to resolve the crisis.
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