Contractors demand payment even after ERA releases Rs 30 cr

Jammu: The Jammu & Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) caught in catch 22 situation after some contractors demanded payment for the construction works of Rs 3o crores, which was already released by the Union Territory’s premier agency.
Official sources told The News Now said that ERA had allotted Rs 30 crore-construction work of sewerage in Jammu to a Punjab based company. The company later hired some local contractors for the completion of the same project and it is reported that the Agency released the payment to the company(contractor).
“ERA officials were left shocked after number of contractors lined up in the office and demanded to release the payment in their favour as they had not received the payment for work carried out by them. Sensing foul play, ERA has written to the office of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and even Anti Corruption Bureau for probe as the huge amount has been misappropriated”, said ERA officials.
They said that to clarify whether the Punjab based company had received payment, some ERA officials along with contractors on Wednesday visited to the office of the private company at Punjab where they asked to come again after four days.
The News Now, however, made phone calls to the CEO ERA namely Sayed Abid Rashid Shah for his comments which were not honoured . Meanwhile Ravinder Mansotra, Director ERA ,Jammu told The News Now that he was unaware of the issue and would give comment only after going through official records.