Maharashtra contractors threaten strike over Rs 76,000 crore in unpaid bills

As Maharashtra’s Mahayuti government rolls out flagship schemes ahead of the assembly polls, it faces mounting financial strain, struggling to pay contractors for completed projects. This has led to widespread discontent, with contractors threatening a strike over unpaid bills worth Rs 76,000 crore.
Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan assured the contractors that the pending bills would be paid soon.
An online meeting is scheduled for September 25, involving contractors, developers, engineers, and labour organisations to discuss the issue and plan their next steps.
Milind Bhosale, President of the Maharashtra State Contractors Federation and State Engineers Association, said that payments have been delayed for over 2.5 years. According to Bhosale, pending payments for various departments total nearly Rs 76,000 crore.
However, the state government has introduced schemes to benefit women, youth, farmers, students, and tribals, he said.
In response, Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan urged contractors to engage in dialogue with concerned ministers and assured them that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and both Deputy Chief Ministers have allocated funds to various departments, with pending payments to be cleared in due course.
Earlier this year, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in his Budget presentation, announced seven flagship schemes costing nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. He also highlighted a revenue deficit of Rs 20,151 crore, a fiscal deficit of Rs 1.1 crore, and a state debt burden exceeding Rs 7 lakh crore.