India, Aug. 19 -- Irate government contractors, who have been waiting for over a year for their joint dues of approximately Rs.86,000 crore, on Monday launched a protest at Azad Maidan, where they also alleged that the Mahayuti government was implementing policies to favour big companies and finish off small and medium contractors. Meanwhile, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the setting up of a mechanism to pay the dues of the public works department (PWD).

The Mahayuti government's various freebies before the 2024 assembly elections have eaten into the funds required to pay contractors' bills, plunging the latter into a financial crisis. There are over 300,000 small, medium and big contractors carrying out different government projects i...