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Forcible loan recovery amid drought: Offices of two finance firms vandalised in Nanded
Forcible loan recovery amid drought: Offices of two finance firms vandalised in Nanded
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Latur, Workers of a farmers' outfit vandalised the offices of two finance firms in Maharashtra's Nanded district on Monday, alleging forceful loan recovery despite severe drought in several parts of the state.
Workers of the Krantikari Shetkari Sanghatana vandalised the offices of Shriram Finance and Bajaj Finance at Loha, with the outfit's district unit chief Balasaheb Jadhav claiming the action was taken after complaints of harassment by recovery agents were received from farmers.
He said Krantikari Shetkari Sanghatana leaders visited the offices of Shriram Finance and Bajaj Finance, but were dissatisfied with the responses, following which some activists armed with wooden sticks damaged doors, tables, computers and other office furniture.
Employees present in the offices reportedly left the premises during the incident, eyewitnesses said.
"If finance company agents continue to visit villages and forcibly recover loans from farmers, we will intensify our agitation and even set their offices on fire. Agents of private finance companies are visiting villages as early as 8 am and harassing farmers for loan recovery," Jadhav told PTI.
The pressure has become so intense that some villagers are leaving their homes to escape harassment, he further claimed.
Assistant Inspector Aditya Ghodke said action will be taken on the incidents after complaints are received from the two firms.
The action comes in the wake of allegations that pressure from microfinance companies led to the deaths of farmers Chandrakant Shinde from Nanded district and Dattatraya Kumbhar from Latur district.
Shinde was found dead in the office of a finance firm last month, following which a case of murder and kidnapping was registered. Several persons connected to the firm have been arrested so far.
Kumbhar was found hanging at his residence in Ankulga Rani village on October 26. He was allegedly distressed over unpaid loans taken from private finance firms, police had said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
