‘Inhuman Act’: This Karnataka Farmer Had To Walk 15 Km

‘Inhuman Act’: This Karnataka Farmer Had to Walk 15 Km to Clear 3 Rupee 46 Paisa Bank Loan. The local Canara Bank manager L Pingva said auditing was underway in the branch and for the loan to be renewed, the farmer had to clear the outstanding amount of Rs 3 and 46 paise.

A small farmer in the hilly Shimoga district of Karnataka was made to walk 15 kilometers to repay a loan amount due – a mere 3 rupee 46 paise. Amade Lakshminarayana, an areca grower from Baruve village in the deep forests of the Western Ghats got a call from the Canara Bank branch at a nearby small town, Nittur, asking him to rush immediately to repay the loan amount.

They gave him no further details. A panicked Lakshminarayana walked 15 kilometers to reach the bank as there are no bus services due to lockdown. When he reached the bank, the officials told him that his due amount was a paltry 3 rupee 46 paise. The shocked farmer immediately paid the amount to clear the loan.

According to him, he had taken Rs 35,000 agriculture loan from the bank. Out of that Rs 32,000 was waived off by the government and he had repaid remaining Rs 3,000 a few months ago.

“When the bank called me to rush urgently. I panicked. There is no bus service due to lockdown. I don’t have any vehicle, not even a bicycle. I reached the bank on foot to clear my outstanding amount of paltry Rs 3 and 46 paise. The bank’s inhuman act has hurt me”, he said.

Local Canara Bank manager L Pingva said that auditing was underway in the branch and to renew his loan he had to clear the outstanding amount of Rs 3 and 46 paise. They also needed his signature, he added.

This news has gone viral inviting widespread condemnation by one and all. They feel that there was no need for the bank to force him to walk 15 kilometers whatever may be the reason.