Belagavi: Despite deputy commissioners’ orders to all financial institutions, private and public finance, not to harass farmers of flood-hit areas for loan recovery, farmers in Belagavi district continue to get notices or warning of arrest.
On Monday, two farmers got notices from a private finance company through a Kolkata court in Belagavi. Neelkanth Lakkannavar and Ningappa Lakkannavar of Hampiholimane village, Ramdurg taluk, have been served notice following a complaint filed by a private finance company for not clearing their installments. The two farmers are now running from the DC’s office to the private finance company, pleading for the arrest warrant to be revoked.
After the DC’s meeting two weeks ago, it’s the third such incident wherein farmers of flood-affected areas were served either notices or arrest warrant for not clearing loans.
Neelkanth told TOI, “Ningappa and I had bought a tractor after exchanging our old one at a cost of Rs 7.6 lakh. We paid Rs 3.6 lakh as down payment. We borrowed Rs 4 lakh loan from a private finance company five years ago.”
“The banks gave eight installments to clear the loan. Accordingly, we need to pay Rs 81,000 per installment once in six months. We cleared two installments. As drought, heavy rain and other natural disasters continued to hit Belagavi, we didn’t earn a profit from our agricultural work from our joint nine acres for the past three years. We didn’t clear the rest of the installments. The finance company seized our tractor two years ago and we thought it had settled the amount due.”
Their village was badly hit by recent flood caused by excess release of water from Malaprabha river and their standing crops, houses and properties were damaged.
“We stayed at a relief camp for more than three weeks. When we returned home, we were shocked to find the notice sent from a private finance through a Kolkata court. Local police asked us to go to Kolkata to avoid arrest. We don’t know anything except for our village. Now how can we visit Kolkata?” said Neelkanth.
He added, “We met local leaders and officers and asked them to persuade the finance company to withdraw its arrest warrant.”
On Monday, two farmers got notices from a private finance company through a Kolkata court in Belagavi. Neelkanth Lakkannavar and Ningappa Lakkannavar of Hampiholimane village, Ramdurg taluk, have been served notice following a complaint filed by a private finance company for not clearing their installments. The two farmers are now running from the DC’s office to the private finance company, pleading for the arrest warrant to be revoked.
After the DC’s meeting two weeks ago, it’s the third such incident wherein farmers of flood-affected areas were served either notices or arrest warrant for not clearing loans.
Neelkanth told TOI, “Ningappa and I had bought a tractor after exchanging our old one at a cost of Rs 7.6 lakh. We paid Rs 3.6 lakh as down payment. We borrowed Rs 4 lakh loan from a private finance company five years ago.”
“The banks gave eight installments to clear the loan. Accordingly, we need to pay Rs 81,000 per installment once in six months. We cleared two installments. As drought, heavy rain and other natural disasters continued to hit Belagavi, we didn’t earn a profit from our agricultural work from our joint nine acres for the past three years. We didn’t clear the rest of the installments. The finance company seized our tractor two years ago and we thought it had settled the amount due.”
Their village was badly hit by recent flood caused by excess release of water from Malaprabha river and their standing crops, houses and properties were damaged.
“We stayed at a relief camp for more than three weeks. When we returned home, we were shocked to find the notice sent from a private finance through a Kolkata court. Local police asked us to go to Kolkata to avoid arrest. We don’t know anything except for our village. Now how can we visit Kolkata?” said Neelkanth.
He added, “We met local leaders and officers and asked them to persuade the finance company to withdraw its arrest warrant.”
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