Easy loans from ‘state bank of tomato’
LUCKNOW The state bank of tomato, started by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, has facilities like easy loans for buying tomatoes, attractive interest rates on its deposit and locker facility. The UPCC has resorted to a novel way to protest the soaring price of the vegetable in the state.
The ‘bank’, which is being operated from the Youth Congress office at Mall Avenue in the state capital, got some 18 buyers on the second day of the protest on Thursday and is evoking keen interest among the people.
Former party spokesperson Anshu Awasthi, who is leading the campaign as the ‘bank’s chief manager’, said they have some interesting schemes like doubling the tomatoes deposited with it, 80 per cent loans for buying the vegetable especially for the poor.
The idea is not just to lodge protest but also to create awareness among the people about the soaring price of the vegetable
“Seeing the response, we have started another ‘branch’ in Aliganj here... We got some 11 kg of tomatoes deposited with us and have given away one-and-a-half kg on loan in which the buyer will be paying back in instalments of Rs 10 each,” Awasthi said.
Some shopkeepers are depositing tomatoes with us, he said adding the ‘bank’ will operate from 10 am to 5 pm.
“The idea is not just to lodge protest but also to create awareness among the people about the soaring price of the vegetable,” he said. Party spoke sp er sonDwij end ra Tripathi said this is to draw attention on the hardship faced by the common people because of it.
ANSHU AWASTHI, Former party spokesperson