The suicide of Kodandarami Reddy, a farmer, at the Syndicate bank branch at Uravakonda town brings to the fore many facets of the agrarian crisis in the district.
The fact that Kodandarami Reddy accused the bank manager, Siva Sankar, of harassing him and leading him to commit suicide reveals the lack of trust between the bankers and farmers across the district.
Nevertheless, it cannot mask the issue that the bank manager had allegedly tried to link one loan to another, thereby denying him the pass books of his land, effectively denying him opportunity to get a loan somewhere else for the ensuing Kharif crop.
Kodanadarami Reddy had taken a crop loan against land owned by him, and his mother also had availed a loan of Rs. 64,000 against her land. Besides these, Reddy had also taken an education loan in the name of his sister.
It is alleged by Kodandarami Reddy’s relatives that he had paid the complete amount pertaining to his mother's crop loan and had asked for the pattadar pass books of the same.
However, it is alleged by the relatives of Kodandarami Reddy that the bank manager had denied him the pass books asking him to also pay his sisters education loan before taking the pass books, pushing Kodandarami Reddy to commit suicide.
However, a senior official of the Syndicate bank, who didn’t wish to be quoted, said the manager had only insisted that Kodandarami Reddy get his mother to the bank so that she could sign in the register before the pattadar pass books could be released, which was the right procedure as one's property papers should not be given to another.
