GUNTUR: Several class IV staff working in the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Guntur fell victim to the ‘Call Money’ scam, as they are being deprived of getting their wages with some of their colleagues holding the ATM cards after lending money at high interest rates.
Thanks to the widespread debate going on the ‘Call Money’ issue following its disclosure in Vijayawada some weeks ago, as it enabled the victims falling prey to high interests to come out in the open for getting justice.
Taking cue from the row of complaints being made by public in several parts of the state against the moneylenders and how they are fleecing huge money from borrowers in the name of interest, some of the staff in GGH also lodged complaints with the higher officials of the hospital and explained their woes recently.
After finding such cases, the hospital higher authorities even issued a circular to those staff trapped in the Call Money to voluntarily come out and air their grievances to the hospital officials as well as to the police.
When questioned, GGH Special Officer S Raghunath admitted that some of the class IV staff approached him and explained how they were being tortured by their fellow employees, who gave them money on interest.
“Some of the victims informed me that their moneylenders were holding their ATM cards and drawing money immediately after their wages were deposited into their bank accounts. However, as it is the police to investigate such cases, we have forwarded the matter to the respective police stations,” he said.
“However, moneylenders holding ATM cards and bank passbooks of borrowers, returned them to the latter following issuing of a circular by the hospital management asking victims to air their grievances,” he added.
Meanwhile, some of the victims reportedly lodged complaints with Guntur Rural SP K Narayana Naik as part of the Grievance Day held on Monday alleging that some of the police department personnel, who lent them money are harassing them by collecting high interests and also forcefully taking their signatures on empty promissory notes.