Bharatiya Bikash Parishad State president Surendra Panigrahi sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the Orissa High Court Chief Justice through the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern Division) on Wednesday, requesting them to write off loans taken by SHGs and LHGs from Government, private and microfinance institutions in Ganjam district.
Around 500 women SHG members were present at the time of submission of the memorandum.
Panigrahi mentioned that the Orissa HC, in response to a PIL, has directed that no financial institution should collect loan installments till July 15, 2020. Besides, the RBI guidelines also restrict collection of loan installments up to Aug 31, 2020.
He alleged that these financial institutions are collecting money forcibly from these SHG/LHGs in the district now. The groups have taken loans from a number of microfinance institutions and banks such as Bandana Finance, Spondana Finance, SKS Finance, Adhikar Finance, Suryodaya, Sarvodaya, Asmita, Sampark, Arnnapurnna, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, GG Finance; Credit Loan Finance, Saraswati Enterprisers, Muthoot Finance, L andT Finance and Magma Finance for various purposes.
As most of them are forcibly collecting installments, SHG members are being forced to sale their personal belongings and mortgaging their residential houses for payment of installments as they have lost incomes during the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown, alleged Panigrahi.
Panigrahi urged the PM and the CM to waive all loans taken by the SHGs.
