Tribal farmers in some mandals in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district and possibly some more in Adilabad district are an upset lot these days as banks, especially the Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB), is recovering overdues of self help groups (SHG) and crop loans from Rythu Bandhu money, which got credited into respective accounts. The farmers alleged ‘coercion’ on the part of banks while making recoveries and pointed out that the latter is not supposed to deduct money for payment of old dues from their Rythu Bandhu receipts.
“I was made to repay the Rs. 10,000 which my wife Tanubai owed to her self help group before I was allowed to withdraw my Rythu Bandhu money. Now, my wife is being asked to produce a no dues certificate from the IKP staff in order to withdraw the Rythu Bandhu money which she got,” alleged Athram Laxman, a farmer from Modi in Kerameri mandal of KB Asifabad.
- Officials, however, denied any coercion on their part. “We are persuading farmers to repay their old debts so that the SHGs become eligible for enhanced loans and the farmers themselves avoid penalties on delayed repayment of the crop loans while getting eligibility for more as vaddi leni runam (interest free loan),” asserted TGB Mancherial Regional Manager K. Shyam Sunder.
- According to officials, they may not be in a position to identify the money being deducted as that belonging to Rythu Bandhu investment support by the goverment and, farmers are equaly ‘morally’ responsible for repayment of dues as they live under the same roof as their wife. “We are just trying to reduce our non performing assets which stand at Rs. 42 crore and the mandals of Sirpur (U) and Kerameri account for Rs. 8.66 crore and Rs. 3.84 crore,” the top banker disclosed as he justified the recoveries.
Officials, however, denied any coercion on their part. “We are persuading farmers to repay their old debts so that the SHGs become eligible for enhanced loans and the farmers themselves avoid penalties on delayed repayment of the crop loans while getting eligibility for more as vaddi leni runam (interest free loan),” asserted TGB Mancherial Regional Manager K. Shyam Sunder.
According to officials, they may not be in a position to identify the money being deducted as that belonging to Rythu Bandhu investment support by the goverment and, farmers are equaly ‘morally’ responsible for repayment of dues as they live under the same roof as their wife. “We are just trying to reduce our non performing assets which stand at Rs. 42 crore and the mandals of Sirpur (U) and Kerameri account for Rs. 8.66 crore and Rs. 3.84 crore,” the top banker disclosed as he justified the recoveries.
As its modus operandi, the bank is putting on hold the accounts of customers until they produce a no dues certificate in the name of their wives issued by issued by the concerned Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) staff under the District Rural Development Department. Illiterate farmers like Kolam tribal Sidam Dharmu of Pavurguda in Sirpur (U) mandal said he did submit the no dues certificate in the name of his wife but still is unable to tell how much was adjusted against her SHG loan of what is remaining in his account as his passbook has not been updated.
Mr. Shyam Sunder rubbished the charge of transferring Rythu Bandhu money from the accounts of customers without their knowledge. “We are custodians of public money and in service of our customers,” he observed.
