Assam: Gauhati High Court Slams Government for Giving Freebies but not Paying Contractors

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court questioned the government’s priorities, slamming the Assam government for giving out freebies but not paying the bill of a Contractor for work done two years before.

A single-judge bench of the HC passed this comment while hearing a writ petition filed by petitioner Rishi Gupta for non-payment of bills due to him for work completed around two years ago. In an earlier order, the court had directed the government to clear the pending dues by September 30, 2024.

The judge questioned the Assam government’s failure to release payments to the contractor while expressing incredulity over the government’s ability to pay out ‘freebies’. He cited media reports of payment of a Rs 75,000 grant to 25,000 first-time entrepreneurs. He queried how the state government was implementing such schemes while simultaneously claiming a lack of funds.

“How can the government allocate money for free schemes when it is unable to pay contractors?” the judges questioned, highlighting a contradiction in the government’s financial management and its priorities.

The counsel for the government stated that partial payment of the contractor’s dues would be made from budgetary provisions and the remaining amount from contingency funds.

The petitioner’s counsel pointed out to the court that the government was planning the distribution of free scooties, prompting the judge to further enquire into the rationale behind such expenditures when contractors remain unpaid.

During the hearing, the court directed the state government to ensure the disbursement of overdue payments by the end of November.

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