Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday assured that all pending bills of small contractors in the State will be settled in a phased manner, stating that the government is moving forward with a clear plan to clear dues and support contractors. Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy also promised to resolve the issues faced by contractors.

Speaking to representatives of the Builders Association of India, who met him at Praja Bhavan during a courtesy visit, the Finance Minister said the Finance department had been ensuring continuous monthly payments, keeping in view the difficulties faced by small contractors.

During the meeting, the contractors requested the release of their pending dues, to which Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka responded positively.

The contractors’ representatives had earlier held discussions with Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.

Addressing the media later, Minister Komatireddy said the previous government had left behind huge unpaid liabilities. “In the R&B department alone, more than ₹4,000 crore dues are pending from the previous regime. Even agencies that undertook Yadadri Temple works are yet to receive nearly ₹350 crore,” he said.

Minister Komatireddy stated that although the State is facing financial pressure, the government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, is giving top priority to clearing pending bills. He said, “During the last 30 months, we have released over ₹3,000 crore to contractors in the R&B department, and another ₹2,500 crore is yet to be paid. At one stage, pending liabilities across departments touched nearly ₹8,000 crore.”

Following this, State Chairman of the Builders Association of India Ravinder Reddy said the association was satisfied with the Deputy Chief Minister’s assurance regarding the clearance of pending bills. He announced that the proposed ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ programme scheduled for June 18 has been postponed.

On behalf of the association, he expressed gratitude to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and R&B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy for their supportive response towards resolving their issues.

“We discussed our concerns with Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. He responded positively and assured us that he would discuss the issue with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to find a solution,” former Vice President D.V.N. Reddy said.

National Vice President V. Satyamurthy, former National President S.N. Reddy, former Vice Presidents Sugunakar Rao, Bhaskar Reddy, Santosh Reddy, Prabhakar, Shyam Reddy and others were present.