Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal

Bantwal, Sep 24: The Bantwal Taluk Primary Co-operative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank recorded a profit of Rs 1.05 cr and declared an 11% dividend for its members, highlighting this achievement as significant.

Former chairman Sudarshan Jain stated that this success is largely attributed to the state Congress government, led by Siddaramaiah, which covered Rs 74 lac in interest waivers, resulting in a total deposit of Rs 1.78 cr from 103 farmers who repaid approximately Rs 1.04 cr.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, September 24, in the morning at Hotel Rangoli on B C Road, Jain accused BJP supporters of politicising issues. He claimed that disruptions occurred during discussions at the Mahasabha and that non-members attended meetings to prevent actual members from raising questions.

He pointed out that references to the bank’s election voting during a members' committee meeting have cast a shadow on its integrity. Jain criticised the current administration for alleged political favouritism in loan distribution and collection processes, stating that the previous board had managed the bank effectively before the current political interference began.

He accused the administration of fostering political animosity and operating with an eye on the upcoming elections.

Jain mentioned that he repaid a loan in November, but despite receiving a notice of disqualification in August, he has not personally received any notification yet. He alleged that the bank is unnecessarily harassing Congress-aligned members by issuing notices and causing mental distress, asserting that electoral strategies are guiding district allocations under the direction of local legislators.

Several prominent individuals were present during the conference, including Chandraprakash Shetty Tumbe, Sudeep Shetty Mani, Mayilappa Salyan, Madhusudan Shenai, Shivappa Poojari, Mohammed Nandavar, and Sitaram Shetty Kantadiguttu.