Contractor Bill Cut Without a Measurement Book Copy

Reviewed on: 2026-06-12.

Do these three things first:

1. Get the deduction in writing. Ask the engineer-in-charge for a written, item-wise note of exactly what was cut from your bill and on what basis. A verbal “the quantities were less” is not enough to act on.
2. Demand the certified measurement book copy. File an RTI for a certified copy of the MB entries for your work. The measurement book is the only record that proves what was measured, by whom, and when. Without it you cannot tell whether the cut is honest or arbitrary.
3. File a written objection within the bill timeline. Record your dispute on the bill, refuse any blanket “no further claim” endorsement on the disputed items, and reserve your right to the balance.

A deduction is not the same as a delay. Here the office has paid you, but paid less, and is refusing to show the record that justifies the reduction. The measurement book settles the question. This guide shows you how to get it and use it.

In a CPWD or state PWD contract, every quantity you are paid for is recorded in the measurement book (MB). The junior or assistant engineer measures the work at site and enters quantities and dimensions; the executive engineer test-checks them. Your bill is computed from these entries multiplied by the agreed rates. So if your bill was cut, the cut must appear in the MB as a reduced or disallowed quantity. If the office will not show you the MB, it is withholding the very document that proves the deduction is correct. That refusal is itself a red flag.

The MB is an official record held by a public authority. As the contractor whose work it records, you can seek a certified copy of the relevant entries under the RTI Act. The office cannot lawfully treat the MB as secret when your money turns on it. A certified copy lets you compare the recorded quantities against your own site measurements and the work actually executed.

The PWD is a public authority. Frame the request tightly so it cannot be brushed off.

To, The Public Information Officer
[CPWD / State PWD Division], [place]

Subject: Information under the RTI Act, 2005 on agreement [number] and a
reduced bill

I am the contractor for [name of work] under agreement no. [.....]. My bill
no. [.....] dated [.....] was reduced. Please provide:
1. A certified copy of all measurement book entries relating to this work,
   including the MB number, page numbers, the dates of measurement, and the
   designation of the officer who measured and the officer who test-checked.
2. The item-wise statement showing the quantities claimed, the quantities
   admitted, and the quantities and amount disallowed in my bill.
3. The reasons recorded on file for each deduction or disallowance.
4. A certified copy of the noting / order sheet on which the reduction was
   approved.
5. A copy of any re-measurement or check-measurement report relied upon for
   the cut.

I am enclosing the prescribed fee. [Name, address, mobile, email, date]

The PIO must reply within 30 days. A certified copy of public records carries a small per-page charge, which the PIO will intimate. If the MB copy is refused, that refusal can be challenged in a first appeal. See how to file RTI online and first and second appeals.

• Do the dates make sense? A measurement dated after you left site, or all entries in one sweep, may indicate the work was not actually re-measured.
• Who signed? Entries must be made and test-checked by competent officers. Unsigned or back-dated entries weaken the deduction.
• Does the cut match a recorded reason? A reduction with no recorded basis is arbitrary and contestable.
• Was a check-measurement done behind your back? You are usually entitled to be present or informed at re-measurement. A unilateral re-measurement is open to objection.

A pipe-laying contractor in Jaipur was paid Rs 11.2 lakh against a running bill claim of Rs 13.6 lakh, a cut of Rs 2.4 lakh, with the office saying only that “excavation depth was found less”. He filed the RTI above. The certified MB showed the depth had been re-measured by an assistant engineer two months after backfilling, when the trench was no longer open, and no check-measurement notice had been sent to him. He filed a written objection annexing his own site photographs with depth markings taken during execution, and sought re-computation. The division agreed the post-backfill re-measurement could not stand and restored Rs 1.9 lakh of the deduction. The certified MB copy was the document that broke the deadlock.

If you are Udyam-registered as a micro or small enterprise, the amount wrongly withheld is a delayed payment once the dispute is resolved in your favour. Under the MSMED Act, 2006 you may claim compound interest at three times the RBI bank rate on amounts paid beyond the agreed or 45-day window. Where the deduction is found unjustified, you can pursue the balance plus interest through the MSME Samadhaan council. Keep the work order, your bills, the certified MB copy and the resolution of the dispute on record.

• Accepting the cut on a verbal explanation. Insist on an item-wise written basis and the MB copy.
• Signing a blanket no-claim on the disputed items. Reserve your claim on the reduced items in writing before accepting payment of the balance.
• Letting the trench be backfilled before measurement. Get hidden work measured and photographed before it is covered.
• Missing the objection window on the bill. Record your dispute promptly; a late objection is harder to press.

The MB is an official record held by a public authority and you can seek a certified copy of the entries for your work under the RTI Act. A refusal can be challenged in a first appeal, and the recorded reasons for the cut are also disclosable.

The MB is a departmental record, but the entries for your own work directly affect your payment, and you can obtain certified copies of those entries through RTI. Many divisions also let the contractor sign the entries at the time of measurement.

Hidden or covered work re-measured later is open to objection, especially if you were not informed. Produce your own dated site photographs and any record from the original measurement, and ask for the deduction to be reconsidered.

No. RTI gets you the MB copy and the recorded reasons. You then contest the deduction through a written objection, departmental escalation, and if you are an MSME, the Samadhaan council. RTI gives you the evidence, not the order to pay.

A deduction with no recorded basis is arbitrary. Cite the absence of any recorded reason in your objection and ask for the amount to be restored or a proper reason to be recorded.

Yes. A cut can come from a reduced quantity or a changed rate. Ask the item-wise statement to show both the quantity and the rate applied so you can spot which was altered.

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Download the measurement book copy and bill-deduction checklist (PDF).