MYSURU: Amid the controversy over public sector lender SBI reportedly writing off loans worth Rs 7,000 crore, including that of Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines, a farmer from Mandya has written to the SBI bank manager, seeking a similar write-off on his Rs 7 lakh loan.
It may be recalled that a sanitation worker in Nashik, Maharashtra, had also asked SBI to waive his loan. Sudhakar, son of farmer leader Sunandamma, a resident of Pannedoddi village, Maddur taluk, appealed to the bank manager of Shivapura branch to waive his loan at the earliest.
Speaking to Express, he said: “When bankers can waive crores of rupees loans taken by Vijaya Mallya, why can’t they waive the loans taken by farmers. I have written to the bank asking to waive my Rs 7 lakh loan sanctioned during 2005-06.”
“More than 80 percent of the loan amount had been used for agriculture and the remaining money was used for personal things. Rs 4.91 lakh tractor loan, Rs 40,000 crop loan and other loans are due for over a decade and bank people have been harassing me by sending notices to clear the loan,” he added.
“Farmers are facing many issues due to crop failure, drought and it is difficult for them to pay back the loans. It is high time bankers took steps to waive the loans of farmers,” he said.
