Bahanaga: Thousands of farmers of Panpana panchayat under Bahanaga block in Balasore district are in a state of dilemma after they received bank notices to pay loans which they have allegedly never applied for.
The misappropriation of loan funds is worth around Rs 1 crore, reports said.
Meanwhile, it has been known that the farmers have been cheated by the authorities of Panpana Co-operative Society, who helped them in availing loans from the banks.
According to sources, around 630 farmers of Panpana panchayat were issued bank notices to repay loans within 30 days. Shocked, the farmers visited the banks and learnt that lakhs of rupees had been withdrawn from the bank in their names using fake voter ID cards, photos and signature.
A report said that a total of 1,500 farmers are registered with Panpana Co-operative Society in the panchayat. From them 630 farmers have loan accounts at the Bahanaga Co-Operative Bank. The farmers had deposited their passbooks and cheque books at the society house as per the rule of the society. The farmers, who have taken loans, have to renew their passbooks once in every six months.
So, when the farmers came to renew their passbook, officials in the co-operative society cunningly asked them to sign in their blank cheque.
PNN
