Clear liabilities before starting new projects: Mir asks govt

Congress today asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to clear the previous liabilities on account of completed works, which have reached Rs 9000 crore, before taking up new projects.
"When the state government is not able to clear the liabilities, what will happen to those works, which are to be initiated as is being claimed by the government," Pradesh Congress Committee president G A Mir said in a statement here.
"How can you (government) think of starting new projects, when you are not able to clear the liabilities? he questioned.
Mir expressed concern over the delay in releasing the payment to contractors and employees due to the liabilities that has reached up to Rs 9500 Crore as claimed by the Chief Minister yesterday.

He said the works allotted to contractors stand completed and now they are going from pillar to post for the payments which has put them to great trouble.
"Same is the case with Government Employees who have applied for release of provident fund bills," he added.

Mir lashed out at the PDP-BJP coalition government for misleading the people, in spite of making tall claims about development of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The state government must look at their liabilities and state coffers, which are lying empty due to the wrong policy of coalition government," he said.
Yesterday, the Chief Minister said the previous National Conference-Congress coalition government in the state had left a deficit of Rs 9000 crore and to confront that was a challenge.

"They have left a deficit of around Rs 9000 crores and there was no proper implementation of any scheme. But I do not want to dig the past... This is a challenge in front of me and I will take on it with full confidence," Sayeed had said.