The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to clear long-pending bills across various departments. In this process, small contractors will be given priority for payments. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav met with high-ranking finance department officials today on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s instructions to discuss bill payments. The finance department is set to disburse approximately Rs 2,000 crore to around 17,000 beneficiaries.
About 9,000 small contractors and 8,000 Neeru-Chettu (Water-Tree) scheme beneficiaries will receive their pending payments. Minister Payyavula Keshav suggested following the “first in, first out” method wherever possible for these payments. He clarified that of the total Rs 2,000 crore being released, 90 percent will go to small contractors while only 10 percent will be allocated to large contractors. The minister explained that bills under Rs 1 crore would be processed on priority.
The minister announced that payments would be made for Neeru-Chettu scheme, pothole-free roads project, and NABARD works. He also mentioned that some irrigation maintenance arrears and Polavaram project dues would be cleared. Minister Keshav stated that they are working under CM Chandrababu Naidu’s guidance to strengthen the state’s financial system. Despite facing many difficulties, these payments are being processed to put Andhra Pradesh back on track, clearing bills that have been pending for three to four years.
