Dr Bhagwat Karad urges thorough refund process

Union Minister of State for Finance, Dr Bhagwat Karad, emphasised the rigorous implementation of the proper process to refund depositors of Adarsh Nagari Sahakari Pat Sanstha during a meeting at the District Collectorate on Saturday.

Seeking information and updates on the refund process, Dr Karad addressed the issue of fund misappropriation cases registered against the directors of Adarsh Patsanstha with city police.

Depositors, agitating for the past year to retrieve their hard-earned money, initiated a Thiyya Agitation a few days ago, led by AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel. The demonstration took a tumultuous turn, leading to the use of teargas by the police. The subsequent FIR, filed under IPC section 353, alleges assault on public servants. Jaleel stressed that depositors have been seeking refunds for six months, with unfulfilled promises. The financial crisis has tragically resulted in the loss of lives among depositors, with protestors facing intimidation tactics such as tear gas and baton charges.

Against this backdrop, a meeting was organised on Saturday, with Co-operative Commissioner Anil Kawade participating through video conferencing. Present at the meeting were District Collector Arvind Lokhande, CP Manoj Lohiya, DCP Aparna

Gitay, District Special Auditor SP Kakade, District Deputy Registrar Dr Mukesh Barhade, Assistant Commissioner (crime) Dhananjay Patil, Deputy District Collector Prabhodaya Muley, District Superintendent Land Record Dr Vijay Veer, Committee members Vishnu Rodge, and other officers.

Dr Karad emphasised the inspection of the loan repayment scheme, property auction, and deposits, urging the implementation of a proper procedure at the earliest. Kawade shared details about a scheme capable of returning deposits in one go. Initially, the police officers provided updates on the progress of the investigation into the Adarsh scam during the meeting.