Cheated women want money back from Srijan Mahila Bank
Patna,(BiharTimes): Members of rural self-help groups, who deposited their money in Srijan Mahila Bank in Sabour are now demanding return of their hard-earned money. In fact they assembled outside locked office of Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti Ltd on Tuesday to stage a protest demonstration.
Take the example of Satiya Devi, a housewife from Farka village in Sabour block of Bhagalpur. To get her money back she has been running from pillar to post
since August 9, the day when the Fund Transfer Scam came to light. She had deposited Rs 20,000 and has not been able to meet anyone who can assure her that her meagre savings are safe.
Ranu Devi of Maa Kali Self-Help Group said for the last four years her group used to deposit Rs 200 per month with the Srijan Mahila Bank.
“We need the money now but after the bank was closed, whom do we go to with our complaint?” she was quoted in The Telegraph.
Satiya and Ranu demanded the return of their money which they had deposited with the bank.
Many women narrated how they used to deposit Rs 10 every week and used to take loan on whopping 20 per cent rate of interest.
“Last year I applied for a loan of Rs 20,000 but since only Rs 15,000 was deposited in my account in the bank I was granted a loan of Rs 10,000,” Hira Devi of Ghogha, told the daily.
The report also said that Srijan Mahila Bank has more than 6,000 such women self-help group customers.
The Bank was set up exclusively to improve the lot of rural women but it ended up ruining the life of many.
After the scam surfaced, it has come to light that the bank used to function beyond its purview.
Mohammad Sarfuddin of Sabour opened a fixed-deposit of Rs one lakh in December 2015 with the bank, and the maturity date was December 2018.
“Recently, before the scam was exposed, I came here to withdraw the amount as I needed it. I was denied by the bank; they were ready to give me only Rs 49,000,” he said.
Besides, more than 50 senior citizens at English Farka village have not got their state government old-age pension of Rs 400 per month for the last two years.
Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Ltd has over Rs 18 crore in its account that the SIT has frozen, said Bhagalpur district magistrate Adesh Titarmare. He said efforts are on to return the amount of the bona fide customers
