Farm loan: ₹79lakh recovery notices pasted at Kolianwali’s house
PADB ULTIMATUM Senior Akali leader, close to exCM Badal, to face arrest warrant if he fails to repay money by May 23 deadline
BATHINDA: As the state government is struggling with budgetary constraints to waive off farm loans of small land holders, Punjab Agricultural Development Bank (PADB) authorities have pasted recovery notices worth Rs 79 lakh at the gate of senior Akali leader Dyal Singh Kolianwali’s residence at Kolianwali village in Muktsar district.
Kolianwali, a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and a close confidant of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, was reportedly not available at home when the PADB officials reached his premises for the recovery on Tuesday.
The PADB has pasted three notices for the recovery of Rs 39 lakh, Rs 35.57 lakh and Rs 4.62 lakh, respectively (total amounting to Rs 79.20 lakh).
Besides Kolianwali, the defaulters also include his wife Amarjit Kaur and son Parminder Singh. The bank officials pasted the notices in the presence of village ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) after they were told that Kolianwali was not at home, PADB Muktsar assistant general manager Ranjit singh said.
The cooperative department has swung into action in the wake of the Punjab cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s statement earlier that the state government would not budge from loan recoveries from the major defaulters, including the politically influential persons. They have been conveyed to deposit the standing amount by May 23, failing which they would face arrest warrants.
Last week, the cooperative department had suspended an official of the PADB’s Malout branch for not drafting the recovery notices. Kolianwali was not available for comments despite phone calls and text messages.