MYSURU: At a time when the COVID second wave is pummeling the rural hinterlands of Karnataka, the visits by agents of micro and private finance companies to the doorstep of borrowers to collect deposits have been keeping the residents in a tizzy for fear of the virus spread.
Following the announcement of the lockdown, officials have been insisting that people working in Bengaluru and other parts of the state return to their villages. But the frequent visits by the agents are keeping them worried.
"Most of the microfinance and private finance companies are sending their pigmy collectors or agents to the doorstep in our villages. The virus is already playing havoc among rural folks and the frequent visits by the agents are further putting people at risk of contracting the virus," said Raghava, a resident of Rangasamudra village.
"Most of these agents are assigned to make recoveries from 10-15 villages and might be carriers of the virus, which has forced people to reach out to the panchayat heads or elected representatives to put a stop to this," Raghava added.
Recently, when Gundlupet MLA Niranjan Kumar paid a visit and inspected containment zones, villagers of Bannitalapura in the taluk called upon him requesting that he direct the police not to allow anyone to come to the doorstep for payment collection.
Stop visists till lockdown ends: Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri
Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri, who was informed about the matter, has convened a meeting with officials and directed all the tahsildars in the district to ensure that microfinance agents are not made to visit houses till the end of the lockdown.