Overview

• Three industry bodies led by Milind Bhosale delivered appeals to collectors in 30 districts seeking clearance of dues dating back to July 2023.
• Only 5% of the outstanding amount was released by the end of March 2024, leaving contractors waiting on ₹89,000 crore.
• About 500,000 contractors face individual arrears ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹20 crore, hindering payments to suppliers and staff.
• Contractors halted projects in February and filed a Bombay High Court petition in June, intensifying the dispute ahead of today’s demonstrations.
• The protests highlight a clash between stalled infrastructure payments and the government’s decision to allocate ₹36,000 crore for the Ladki Bahin scheme.