PWD owes 95% of state govt’s 51k-cr dues for major projects

Mumbai: Various state govt departments owe Rs 51,424 crore for major works contracts and supplies for 2024-25. These have been shown as outstanding liabilities in the medium-term fiscal policy statement and the fiscal policy strategy statement issued along with the budget papers. The highest amount—Rs 48,889 crore—is owed by the public works department, followed by the water resources department at Rs 1,761 crore. The higher and technical education department owes Rs 562 crore, the tourism and cultural department Rs 122 crore, the social justice and special backward classes department Rs 88 crore, and the registration and stamp duty department Rs 2 crore. The state also owes arrears in grants of Rs 1,193 crore to various institutions, including panchayati raj. The statement only mentions major works and liabilities above Rs 1 crore. The opposition had raised the issue of contractors dying by suicide as govt was not clearing their dues. TNN