STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Citizens Forum on Monday urged the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to provide succour to hapless widows of State by waiving off the loans offered to them for petty issues including poultry, livestock etc.
The forum demanded that while asking for flood revival economy of the State from RBI Governor, government should also think about the widows of this state who are being harassed by the Bankers for recovery of their loans given to these poor souls for various small home scale jobs. “The poor widows relying on meager pension of Rs. 250 per month have lost much than what they could earn from these petty small businesses started through loans offered under RBI scheme”, the handout of forum said.
“Their livestock died because of diseases with no money for the medicine and cure but the interest and installments stood piling in their loan accounts. Notices of recovery are regularly being sent to them by hand, through bank couriers personally to harass them in their locality. Thousands of them are working as domestic house hold workers washing utensils, clothes and dusting of the big-vigs and the politicians who have no consideration to solve their problems”, the forum handout further said.
Citizens Forum demanded that Finance Minister Hasseeb Drabu while asking for a specific package for one time waiver of Kissan Credit card borrowers or revival or restoration of livelihood, reconstruction of public infrastructure, revival of business, rebuilding of flood management system and redeveloping J and K as the sustainable state should also plead for these poor widows who are also the subjects of this state for waiver of their loans.
“Never in the history of development of this state had any government mentioned about the social and financial security to this section of the society. The elected politicians always raised voice for increase of their salaries and perks but never uttered a word to increase the pension of these widows”, the forum pointed out.
“Drabu should also take up the matter of loan advances by the bankers. Three years back, the previous RBI Governor during his visit to Kashmir had announced loan of Rs. 10 lakh for the new entrepreneurs without any collateral or security but the bankers in state have been avoiding this notification of the RBI”, the forum demand.