VIRUDHUNAGAR: The District Consumer Redressal Commission in Srivilliputhur on Saturday directed the officials of a Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) and the district's central co-operative bank to waive off an agricultural loan of Rs 1.26 lakh, pay a fine of Rs 60,000, and return 68 g of mortgaged gold ornaments to a farmer, citing deficiency of service, within six weeks.
The commission, comprising President SJ Chakkkaravarthy and member M Muthulakshmi, issued the verdict on a petition filed by M Vijaya, of Chinnathathampatti against the manager of the PACS in Inam Kasireddiapatti and the managing director of Virudhunagar District Central Co-operative Bank Limited.
According to Vijaya, she had mortgaged her jewelry at the PACS and took a loan of Rs 1.26 lakh in November 2018 for an interest of 7 %. The debt payment in installments ended in January 2019. However, when Vijaya approached the society to retrieve the gold, officials told her that she could not get the jewels back as per the terms of agricultural jewel loans, and could avail it only by paying the interest for regular jewelry loans. They further asked her to pay an interest of 1.5 % per month. Following this, she appealed to the managing director, but in vain.
As per a 2021 government order, pending crop loans of Rs 12,110,74 availed by 16,43,347 farmers were waived off. With reference to this case, the commission observed that the loan taken by the petitioner has also been waived off. "The respondents had allegedly hid the order, which would have been beneficial for the petitioner, leading to irregularities in their service," the commission added. It also directed the respondents to waive Vijaya's loan and pay her Rs 50,000 for causing mental agony and anotherRs 10,000 for litigation charges.