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TMI BlogCM Siddaramaiah blames contractors for the swelling pending billsX X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... CM Siddaramaiah blames contractors for the swelling pending bills X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ials demand money, he said no one should either pay or receive the bribe. He said he never took certain percentage of money as commission for clearing bills or releasing money to the contractors. Speaking to reporters here, Siddaramaiah said the contractors’ association met him and put forth the demand to clear half of their dues. "Contractors told me that Rs 30,000 crore is pending and asked m ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... e to pay them Rs 15,000 crore by April. I said that cannot be done. I said I will pay whatever is possible," the Chief Minister said. To a question that contractors have said they would meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to get their dues clear, Siddaramaiah said let them meet as he has no objection over it but he has to see the financial condition of the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... state before paying them their dues. "Without budgetary allocation, the tenders were invited, contractors’ participated in it, contracts were finalised and the work started. That’s how the pending bills increased. Are we responsible for it?" the Chief Minister sought to know. He said, "Let them complain to whoever they want. We have to see our financial condition first. We don’t have intention t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... o decline their payments." On contractors’ allegation that ‘commission’ system was prevalent where the officials demand certain per cent of money, Siddaramaiah said contractors should not pay bribe to the officials "No one should take it (bribe). I never took certain percentage of money for clearing bills or releasing money," the Chief Minister said. According to him, not only the person who ac ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... cepts bribe is a criminal but also the one who pays it. As the Chief Minister, who holds finance portfolio, is set to present his 16th budget on March 7, he chaired a Business Advisory Committee meeting on Monday. Siddaramaiah told reporters that along with Congress, the opposition BJP and the JD(S) had also attended the meeting. He said there will be a discussion on Governor’s address first. Si ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ra Congress MLA T B Jayachandra will initiate the discussion on Governor’s address on Tuesday, which will go on till Thursday. He said he will reply to the Governor’s address on Monday in the Assembly and Tuesday in the legislative council. The discussion on budget will start from next Tuesday which will go on till March 19. "On March 20, I will reply to the discussion on budget in the Legislat ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ive Council," Siddaramaiah said.
When told that people have high expectations from the budget, he asked people to wait till March 7.
"It is a secret document till it is presented. Till then we cannot say what is there in it," the Chief Minister said. PTI GMS GMS ADB X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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