The Aryavarth Express Bengaluru (Karnataka), January 30: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Thursday blamed the previous BJP-led government for the large backlog of pending payments to contractors, even as the BJP accused the Congress-led state government of rampant corruption.
The remarks came a day after the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association claimed that nearly ₹38,000 crore in contractor bills remain unpaid, triggering a sharp political exchange between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.
Addressing the issue, CM Siddaramiah said that while pending bills do exist, a substantial portion of the dues were inherited from the BJP’s tenure. “The pending bills were left behind by the BJP. It is true that there are pending bills, but it was the BJP that left them,” he said.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy echoed the Chief Minister’s statement, asserting that out of the total ₹38,000 crore, around ₹20,000 crore pertains to the previous BJP government, with the remaining dues accumulating during the current Congress regime. “A large amount was pending even during their rule, and it has now accumulated,” he said.
Reacting sharply, BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said that the Congress had earlier politicised contractors’ allegations during the BJP’s tenure but is now facing similar criticism while in power.
“Whenever a tender is floated, payments must be made within stipulated timelines. Otherwise, quality work cannot be expected. Today, contractors themselves are questioning this government,” Ashwath Narayan said, alleging corruption and exploitation by government officials. He claimed the Congress government has turned Karnataka into an “ATM” by allegedly extorting contractors.
The political attack was intensified by BJP leader Arvind Bellad, who accused the Congress leadership of unprecedented corruption. “Karnataka has become an ATM for the Congress party. The Contractors’ Association president has claimed that commissions demanded by politicians have gone up to 60 per cent, which is unheard of in India,” Bellad alleged, linking the issue to an alleged power struggle within the Congress leadership.
Earlier, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association warned that if the dues are not cleared, contractors would halt work across the state. Association President Manjunath said repeated appeals to the government have failed to yield results.
“₹38,000 crore is pending for contractors. Despite several requests to the Chief Minister, our problems remain unresolved. A contractor in Chikkaballapur attempted suicide today. If our issues are not addressed, work will be stopped from February, and we will hold a statewide strike on March 5,” Manjunath said, adding that the association has also written to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
With the issue gaining momentum during the ongoing Karnataka Assembly session, the political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP is expected to intensify further in the coming days.
