Government contractors across Maharashtra are grappling with a severe financial crisis, fearing a "black Diwali" as approximately ₹86,000 crore in overdue payments from the state government remain uncleared. This mounting debt has led to widespread distress, including home seizures and unpaid loans, prompting a desperate telephone campaign targeting the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers' offices.
The Maharashtra State Contractors Association (MSCA) initiated the "Call the CM and Deputy CMs" campaign, urging members to contact the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) and the offices of Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar. The campaign, which followed earlier protests in various districts, aims to highlight the dire financial situation faced by contractors ahead of the festive season.
Contractors Detail Financial Hardship
Many contractors and their families have shared harrowing accounts of their struggles. Vaibhav Lad, a contractor from Buldhana, appealed for his pending project payments to be released before Diwali, only to be redirected to a different department. Bhagyashri Kawale, whose husband is a contractor from Pandharpur, revealed that their home was seized by the bank due to an inability to pay EMIs, stemming from a ₹2 crore payment owed for work under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
“We are in critical financial crisis. The bank has seized our home as we have not been able to pay the EMI, because the government is holding back our arrears. We are fighting to get our home back through the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT),” Kawale stated.
Subodh Sawant, a Ratnagiri-based contractor awaiting ₹4 crore from the Public Works Department, posted a video showing his repeated, unanswered calls to the CMO, speculating that the offices were overwhelmed. Similarly, Ujjwal Pande from Amravati appealed directly to Deputy CM Shinde's office, expressing his inability to travel to Mumbai without assistance.
Ministerial Response and Ongoing Agitation
Nischal Ambal, a Hingoli contractor owed ₹6 crore, managed to reach Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil, who offered a glimmer of hope by stating that "some funds will be released." However, such isolated assurances do little to alleviate the systemic issue.
Milind Bhosale, president of the MSCA, confirmed the widespread response to their agitation, noting that contractors, frustrated by unresponsive CMO lines, began calling the Deputy CMs' offices ahead of schedule. "All of them are in financial trouble and are worried how they would spend their Diwali. It’s black Diwali for us," Bhosale remarked.
The contractors plan to continue their campaign, with further calls scheduled for Deputy CM Shinde’s office on Monday and Deputy CM Pawar’s office on Tuesday, maintaining pressure on the government to clear the substantial pending dues before the festive period.