Shiv Sena take out 'Nirdhar morcha' in Kolhapur

Kolhapur, Mar 21 : The Shiv Sena workers today took out a 'Nirdhar' (determinatiokn) morcha to Kolhapur District Central Cooperative Bank (KDCC), demanding for transparent inquiry of its administrative officers and directors who sanctioned Rs 111.40 crore loans for ineligible farmers in 2008.

About 300 workers, led by Sena district presidents Vijay Devne and Sanjay Pawar, gathered at Shahupuri this afternoon and marched towards the nearby office of KDCC bank. There, the agitators raised slogans against the bank's officers and directors and demanded to conduct an inquiry in the sanction of bogus loans in 2008.

Mr Devne, while addressing workers, said that as per suggestion of Reserve Bank of India and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), the administrative board should conduct a transparent inquiry against directors and officers, who had sanctioned the fake loans for ineligible farmers.

He demanded to register criminal complaints against bank directors and officers and their arrest immediately.

The Central government had waived agricultural loans worth Rs 292 crore of about 49,000 farmers in Kolhapur district, but after an audit Nabard had found agricultural loans worth about Rs 111.40 crore as ineligible.

Nabard had also asked the bank to file police complaints against the then officers and directors who sanctioned the bogus loans.

The Maharashtra government had dissolved the board of KDCC Bank,led by chairman P G Shinde, on November 12, 2009, for irregularity and corruption in sanction of loans and established an administrator.

Later, a delegation, led by Mr Devne and Mr Pawar, met P B Chavan,chairman of Administrator board, handed over a memorandum of their demands.