Bhubaneswar: The agitated victims of the multi-crore scam from across Odisha resorted to an indefinite strike here under Arthika Sansthamanankadwara Kshatigrastanka Militamancha (ASKMM) Tuesday demanding refund of their hard earned money. They also organised a huge rally from the Master Canteen Square to Lower PMG. The protesters marched towards the Lower PMG Square where they sat on indefinite dharna till their demands are met.
“The state government should identify the chit fund investors who have been duped and take necessary arrangements to refund their money at the earliest. We will continue our protest till the government refunds our money,” convener of the Manch and RTI activist Jayant Das said.
“The Government has been assuring us for the last six years that our money would be refunded, the duped investors would be identified and the faulty law would be amended. But nothing has been done yet.” Das added.
Taking a dig at the state government, Das said the government is able to identify the beneficiaries of the newly-launched KALIA scheme within weeks and credit money to their bank account, but it cannot help the investors who have lost their hard-earned money. It shows the government’s gross apathy towards chit fund investors.
He also pointed out that the state government, in 2013, had announced a Corpus Fund of Rs 300 crore to refund the money to the chit fund investors. While Justice MM Das Commission has identified nearly 3.5 lakh small investors (who have deposited Rs 10,000 and less in the chit fund companies) and recommended the state government to refund their money, the latter is yet to take any effective steps.
In his reactions, senior BJD leader and Odisha Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said, “The chit fund investors haven’t lost faith because we have already started the process of refund to the small investors identified by the Commission. The delay is due to caution that the government is exercising in repaying the money,” he clarified.
He also asserted, “The process of refunding has already started and the fact that none have received the refund is incorrect.”
Janardan Pradhan a victim of the chit fund fraud said, “I’ve deposited Rs 14 lakh in a chit fund. Five years have elapsed since the state government’s assurance and I’m yet to get back my money. If we don’t get the refund before the upcoming general elections, we would continue the protest.”