Electrical contractors to protest June 25

Electrical contractors to protest June 25

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi :  Members of the district unit of Karnataka State Licensed Electrical Contractors’ Association will stage a dharna outside the DC June 25,  seeking redress of  their various demands.  Speaking to media, M. Nagaraj Rao, president of district unit of the association, said the State government should float short-term tenders for electrical contractors in rural areas.

On the contrary, the government was planning to float long-term tenders of huge value, which would only benefit big contractors.  Instead of calling tenders for a work worth Rs. 5 lakh, the government had planned to invite tenders for 20 works worth Rs. 1 crore. This was injustice done to the local contractors.

Unlike big contractors, the local electrical contractors hired local people from villages and thereby provided them with employment. Local contractors also worked in the naxal-affected areas of the district.  Electricity related contract should be separated from the civil works. While electricity-related work should be given to licensed electrical contractors, civil works should be given to civil contractors.

For emergency works, the electrical contractors should be paid 50 per cent more than the standard rate within a week. If there was any accident, the electricity company should provide relief to the victim’s kin. The electricity supply companies should stop harassing electrical contractors.

There were about 350 licensed electrical contractors. Bills ranging from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 3 lakh were pending for nearly every contractor in the district for the last three years. The contractors were on a State-wide strike since June 15.   K. Srikant Shenoy, Alphonse Alva, Raghavendra Rao and office-bearers of the association, were present.

Mangaluru : It is reported that the Dakshina Kannada unit of Karnataka State Licensed Electrical Contractors’ Association will join the State-wide protest against the electricity supply and transmission companies for planning to award contracts on a turnkey basis, thereby ignoring the local contractors. General secretary of the association, Chetan Mallya, told presspersons June 24, that members would submit a memorandum to the DK DC  Ibrahim on June 25, after a procession from the Town Hall, he said While the Escoms would offer new works on a turnkey basis, they would require the help of local contractors to restore damaged electrical installations during monsoon, Mallya ridiculed. The electrical works should be separated from civil works, he demanded.