Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, which is spearheading a campaign against the defunct Land Development Bank's forcible recovery drive from farmers in distressed western Vidarbha, has disputed the government claim that only big and habitually defaulting farmers are being targeted.
Buttressing their charge that LDB was charging usurious rates, VJAS has highlighted the case of Purshottam Ingle of village Tigoan in Wardha, who borrowed Rs 2,90,000 in 2001 from LDB by pledging his 22-acre farm land. As per the latest recovery notice served on him, Ingle has already repaid Rs 6,09,891. Yet the bank sent him notice for recovery of Rs 2,91,387. The bank has arranged for the auction of all movable and immovable property belonging to Ingle.
"LDB officials are defending the auction of land belonging to farmers who have not been able to repay loans taken before 1997 with misleading claims. The government sources had said on Thursday that small farmers do not figure in the list of those served the recovery notice. But this is a false claim," said VJAS president Kishore Tiwari.
"Thousands of farmers in the state will face action, with around 3,000 in distress-hit Vidarbha. Their land was mortgaged against term loans, and the bank is now threatening to auction their land to recover the dues," Tiwari said. According to a rough estimate 50,000 acre land may have been mortgaged with LDB by defaulting farmers of Vidarbha alone, he said.
Buttressing their charge that LDB was charging usurious rates, VJAS has highlighted the case of Purshottam Ingle of village Tigoan in Wardha, who borrowed Rs 2,90,000 in 2001 from LDB by pledging his 22-acre farm land. As per the latest recovery notice served on him, Ingle has already repaid Rs 6,09,891. Yet the bank sent him notice for recovery of Rs 2,91,387. The bank has arranged for the auction of all movable and immovable property belonging to Ingle.
"LDB officials are defending the auction of land belonging to farmers who have not been able to repay loans taken before 1997 with misleading claims. The government sources had said on Thursday that small farmers do not figure in the list of those served the recovery notice. But this is a false claim," said VJAS president Kishore Tiwari.
"Thousands of farmers in the state will face action, with around 3,000 in distress-hit Vidarbha. Their land was mortgaged against term loans, and the bank is now threatening to auction their land to recover the dues," Tiwari said. According to a rough estimate 50,000 acre land may have been mortgaged with LDB by defaulting farmers of Vidarbha alone, he said.
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