Report and Pics: Arun Uppinangady
Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (RD/SP)
Puttur, Feb 25: The activists of the state Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene staged a picketing in front of Uppinangady Cooperative Agricultural Bank, near here on Thursday February 24 and succeeded in taking back 12 sacks of areca nut that was seized by the Bank from a loan defaulter.
Gulabi Poonja, wife of Timmappa Poonja, a resident of Periyadka in Uppinangady village near here, had borrowed a loan from the said bank, which shows a liability of Rs 4,82,473 including accumulated interest as on date. Despite serving several notices to the defaulting borrower, seeking repayment of the overdue loan the bank, Gulabi failed to clear the liability or repay any part of the loan. As such, the bank officials came to the house of Gulabi on Wednesday February 23 and seized 12 bags of areca nut that was found stored in her house, in the presence of policemen.
The activists of state Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene, led by Sangha leader from Hassan, Kanagal Murthy, organized a protest rally from Gandhi Park to the bank premises, and tried to picket there. But their effort was foiled by the policemen on duty.
The protesters alleged that the bank officials have disregarded the Supreme Court’s directive not to seize agriculturists’ property or assets in the event of failure to repay their farm loans. They condemned the act of the Bank officials for taking the extreme measure of seizing moveable assets of the woman borrower in question.
Puttur tahsildar, Dr Dase Gowda, arrived on the spot, and held discussions with the Bank officials about the contentious issue. Assistant registrar of co-operative societies, Vijay Kumar, was also consulted, and it was decided to return the bags of areca nut that were seized from the house of Gulabi Poonja.
The incident gains significance in the light of the fact that in the history of Dakshina Kannada district, the stock seized by a bank towards recovery of dues was returned to the borrower, without any repayment having been made, and purely because of the pressure brought in by the activists. Once their demand was met, the jubilant protesters carried the areca nut bags in a rally from the bank premises to Gandhi Park.