Many farmers have alleged corruption in primary agriculture credit cooperative societies (PACS) in transferring the State government’s farm loan waiver scheme to individual beneficiaries. Secretaries of many PACS pocketed a major amount of money while giving a portion of it to the beneficiaries, it has been alleged.
Farmers from Hale Koplu, H. Mylahalli, Koravangala in Hassan taluk, and those in Gowdagere, Mathighatta and Hirisave, and other villages in Channarayapatna taluk have alleged corruption by the officers. In some cases, the officials of secretaries allegedly gave away only ₹15,000 to the farmers, though the total loan amount waived off was over ₹1 lakh.
Sathish, district president, Republic Party of India, said it was a scam running into crores. “The bank has not given the farmers – the account holders – their passbooks. They don’t know how much was credited to their accounts. PACS secretaries draw money on their behalf and hand it over to them. Many would not know how much money they got,” he said.
Following complaints, the bank is said to have issued notices to a few secretaries. The farmers have decided to stage a protest demanding a proper inquiry into the irregularities in providing loan waiver benefits on Monday. The Hassan district unit of the RPI has announced its support.