RAICHUR: At a time when the alleged mix-up by banks saw money deposited in some farmers’ accounts and later withdrawn, here is another shocker. The State Bank of India has started to issue notices to farmers to attend the Bank Adalat to settle the loan amount.
This is despite farmers coming under the state government’s loan waiver scheme. The Kumaraswamy coalition government waived crop loan capped at Rs 2 lakh, borrowed on or before December 31, 2017. Many farmers have already received at least one tranche of payment of Rs 25,000 and in some cases two tranches.
As per the probe by TNIE in Jagir Venkatapur in Kalmala hobli, Raichur district, seven farmers have been notified by SBI. The farmers are worried as to why they have got the notices. Bheemanna Suganna received notice from SBI (copy available) last week.
The notice stated: “Your account 62329004706 is eligible for Bank Adalat Settlement, which is going to take place on 15.06.2019 and 21.06.2019, you are being requested to approach bank to avail settlement facility.”
Devendrappa, Bheemanna’s son, said, “I was shocked to see the notice when the government itself sent a letter that my father’s account is eligible for loan waiver. But my father’s account did not receive money from the government.” The notice was issued by Kalmala branch of SBI.
Farmers receive notices as govt yet to pay: Bank
Bheemanna had borrowed Rs 50,000 from SBI and the bank has quoted to settle Rs 63,802 including interest and pending charges. Besides Bheemanna, Rudrappa Rajoli who borrowed Rs 90,000 and whose loan account received Rs 50,000 has also been notified for the settlement. Rajoli wondered why the government announced the loan waiver if it was not serious about implementing it. “Since the past two years, drought affected the yield. How can the bank expect us to pay back the money?” he said.
P S Kulkarni, Lead Bank Manager (SBI), Raichur, said the farmers were receiving the notices as the government has not paid the money. He said he did not have any data on how many farmers in the district received notices.
“The state government on Wednesday announced that it would clear the loan amount at one go. If that happens, the farmers do not have to worry at all,” he said. A meeting of state-level bankers will be convened in Bengaluru on Friday to discuss and resolve any issues related to the implementation of the loan waiver scheme.