Dalit organisations to stage protest http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0
Staff Reporter KANNUR: Dalit organisations will stage protests against the Kerala State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation alleging irregularities in its vehicle loan schemes. The leaders of Dalit organisation said at a press conference here on Thursday that scores of Dalit families that availed themselves of the loan schemes were now facing threat of property attachment as part of recovery measures. Alleging irregularities in the corporation's recovery measures, they demanded a vigilance probe into its vehicle loans schemes and auditing by Comptroller and Auditor General. They also demanded that all recovery moves be suspended till a comprehensive inquiry was conducted. Bharatiya Pattika Jana Samajam (BPJS) State president C. Padmanabhan, Rashtriya Mahasabha general secretary M. Geethanandan and Pattika Yuvajana Samajam State general secretary Thekkan Sunilkumar were present at the press conference. The Dalit organisations would stage a protest march to the regional office of the corporation here on October 31, they said. They alleged that irregularities were found in the recovery proceedings and auctioning of the attached vehicles to private vehicle operators at lower rates. A Dalit family here that had utilised the loan scheme was facing recovery measures by banks as well as the corporation, they said. They said the loan amount under the scheme was provided by both the corporation and a bank. The bank being the first party in the loan agreement, attachment steps should be started only after informing the bank, they said adding that the corporation often started recovery measures even before the beneficiary could start repaying two or three instalments. After seizing the hypothicated vehicles, the corporation officials were handing them over to private parties in first auctions, they said. A bus valued Rs.5,60,000 by the Regional Transport Officer had been recently auctioned at Rs.3.25 lakh, they said. Alleging that the corporation's loan scheme was a 'trap,' they said that it was far worse than private agencies lending money for vehicle purchase.
