Farmers Movement Archive

Rajasthan: Bharatiya Kisan Union seeks probe against bank officials over auction of farmers’ lands in Dausa

JAIPUR: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday met Dausa farmers whose lands have been auctioned by commercial banks over the non-payment of loans, while peasants led by BJP MP Kirori Lal Meena protested against the action outside the chief minister’s residence. Land attachment and auction is being undertaken by banks that are controlled by the Reserve Bank of India, he said, urging the Centre to waive farmers’ loans. Notably, many instances of land auction notices being issued to farmers who have been unable to pay back their loans have come to the fore recently. Tikait, who is the spokesperson of the BKU, met farmers in Ramgarh Pachwara in Dausa district whose lands were auctioned by banks after they failed to repay their loans. Talking to reporters, Tikait said, "Why was the auction done? An investigation should be carried out against bank officials and a case registered. You cannot auction a farmer's entire land for a small loan. It was an illegal auction. The land mafia have their eyes on prime land." He claimed several farmers have received land auction notices. "We will meet bank officials on the issue and decide the future course of action," the BKU leader said. Separately, a group of farmers from Dausa led by BJP MP Dr Kirodi Lal Meena managed to reach the high-security zone near Gehlot's residence here, demanding action against bank officials and cancellation of the land auction process. However, the protestors were dispersed and Meena was taken away in a bus by police officials. "Approximately 15 lakh farmers in the state have taken loans worth Rs 10,000 crore from cooperative banks and they are not being waived. The farmers who have come here have less than 5.5 acres of land and have received land auction notices," Meena told reporters from inside the bus. Recently, a farmer committed suicide in Ramgarh Pachwara and the police have not registered a case in the matter, he alleged. A protesting farmer said, "My father had taken a loan from the Rajasthan Grameen Bank. Bank officials harassed my father, who committed suicide two months ago. Still, the bank auctioned 15 bighas land for Rs 45 lakh a couple of days ago. We had taken a loan of Rs 3.5 lakh." Meena was later taken to the Secretariat here, where he met officials from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), according to a statement. He handed over a memorandum to the CMO officials seeking a complete waiver of farm loans, the statement issued by Meena's office said.

The Times of India

2022-01-21

Jaipur