Suthra Punjab contractors have suspended sanitation operations in 21 tehsils across Punjab. The contractors cited unpaid dues and disputed cheques as the reason.
The suspension has affected garbage collection and other sanitation services in several areas. Muzaffargarh is among the tehsils where operations have been stopped.
Nasrullah Tareen, provincial president of the Contractors Association, announced the decision. He claimed that cheques issued to contractors by the company had bounced.
According to Tareen, the company issued cheques worth around Rs1.5 billion. However, contractors could not cash those cheques due to the payment issues.
He said contractors have been waiting for around Rs2.5 billion in outstanding payments. The dues have reportedly remained unpaid for the past six months.
Tareen said the delayed payments have created serious financial difficulties for contractors. He added that the contractors could not continue operations without receiving their pending funds.
The contractors have held several meetings with the relevant authorities. They said they were repeatedly assured that their outstanding payments would be cleared.
However, Tareen said those assurances have not resulted in the release of the pending payments. The contractors have now decided to suspend services again.
Suthra Punjab contractors said sanitation work will remain suspended until the payment dispute is resolved. The decision could affect waste collection across the affected tehsils.
The contractors association has demanded immediate clearance of all outstanding dues. It has also called for a solution to the cheque-related payment issue.
This is not the first time contractors have stopped sanitation services. Earlier, they had announced a boycott over unpaid bills.
Those bills were linked to garbage collection machinery and other sanitation services. The previous suspension reportedly caused garbage to accumulate at different locations.
Sanitation workers had also raised concerns about delayed salaries during the earlier dispute. The latest suspension has renewed concerns about waste management in affected areas.
The Contractors Association has warned that the renewed stoppage could result in further garbage accumulation. The impact may become more visible if services remain suspended.
Suthra Punjab operations cover important sanitation and waste management activities. Contractors play a key role in providing these services in different areas.
The current dispute has therefore created uncertainty over the continuation of sanitation work. Contractors are seeking payment before they resume their operations.
Tareen said the contractors have already engaged with authorities through several rounds of negotiations. Despite these discussions, the outstanding amounts have not been cleared.
The contractors have maintained that payment of their dues is necessary to restore services. They have linked the resumption of sanitation operations to resolving the financial dispute.
Suthra Punjab contractors are now waiting for authorities to address their demands. Until then, sanitation services remain suspended in the affected 21 tehsils.
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The development highlights the impact that delayed payments can have on public sanitation services. Further delays could increase waste management problems in the affected areas.
