People Left Their Homes Due To Private Finance Harassment

CHAMARAJANAGAR

Cases of people leaving their homes and children behind and disappearing are increasing in district, as they have been forced to take out microloans to escape hardship. A boy has shed tears over the harassment by microfinance. Here is a report on this.

In many places including Heggavadipur and Deshvalli, children have been taken out of school by their parents. Families here have taken loans from microfinance companies for household expenses. Villagers are leaving their homes, alleging that they are harassing them even if they are a day late in paying the loan instalments.

Speaking about this, a boy named Mohan said, they come whenever they want, they come at odd hours of the night badly. They harass me. I'm so sorry, please give me permission to sell one of my kidneys. We'll sell the kidney and pay off my parents' debt and live on, he said, breaking down in tears.

Speaking about this, farmer leader Mahesh Kumar said, Microfinance companies are giving loans and then impaling them. They talk politely and give loans, but then come at the wrong time and make a fuss. Hundreds of families have left their homes. There is no proper information about their whereabouts.

Farmer leaders had also lamented before Minister K Venkatesh that people were leaving their villages due to harassment by private finance. Private finance harassment was increasing and children were leaving their villages, cutting short their education. They had demanded that financial harassment be curbed.

The Minister has promised to try to resolve the problem by giving more powers to the DC and SP, but it remains to be seen whether he will turn the heat on private finance any further.