Bengaluru is facing a potential crisis in its development and infrastructure projects, such as the white topping of major roads, as contractors have announced a strike over long-pending dues amounting to ₹3,850 crore. The BBMP Contractors Association and the Karnataka Contractors Association (KCA) have jointly given the government a week to pay the dues, which is set to start on January 13.

There are reports from KCA members that the unpaid bills for works across Karnataka have reached over Rs 32,000 crore. BBMP Contractors Association President Nanda Kumar said to a media channel, “Apart from the works taken up for the BBMP, we also take up works in the city to which grants are provided by the state government. Now, the BBMP’s pending bill amount has touched Rs 1,850 crore and the dues from the state government are around Rs 2,000 crore.”  

He also said that the pending money for the work undertaken in 2021 has been paid. Kumar also said that even when they protested earlier, they were partially paid in July 2023. “When they started to clear the dues for the works done in 2021, BBMP withheld 25 per cent of the total amount,” he spoke. He claims that the amount withheld is 1,350 crore rupees, and this amount also includes the amount withheld for the work done with the state government's grant.

A contractor expressed that only during the protests did the BBMP and the government take the matter seriously and pay the pending amount. He also said that the only way out for them is to go on strike because they have taken huge loans from banks and moneylenders for the work and can no longer prolong it.