'Chief Minister did not grant you loans', microfinance agents keep on harassing women for repayment

By Devabrata Dutta

GUWAHATI: Even after repeated claims by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself, the microfinance agents keep on harassing poor women and families, as the Government of Assam has failed to wave off the loans of those borrowers to date.

While talking with InsideNE, women from Nalbari district's Dharmapur area complained, "Even after chief minister's announcement, the microfinance agents come to our homes and pressurize to repay the installments even by selling our household goods like televisions, fans even cows and other kinds of stuff. It goes on and on for 2/3 days a week."

"In light of newly enforced COVID restrictions, people are losing employment as well as their daily earnings and wages. I would request CM Sarma to help these women so they do not have to choose the path of death due to the harassment of microfinance agents," a man added.

Another woman expressed, " Microfinance agents are reluctant to understand. They say, "Chief Minister did not lend you loans. You have lent from us, and now you have to pay your debts." But now we do not have any work to do. We are somehow living from hand to mouth. How could we pay our debts?"

Harassment of microfinance agents is not something new as in February last year itself, thousands of women in Dibrugarh came out seeking "suicide permission" following the harassment of microfinance agents.

As a solution to that, in February this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma, now the CM, has promised during an election campaign in Naharkatia that the Assam government will repay the loans of needy women who have been defaulting in repaying their debts to microfinance institutions.

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“If needed, I have Rs 500 crore at my disposal and will add Rs 500 to Rs 1000 crore more to it to repay the loans of needy women who have not been able to repay their debts,” the minister said, adding that there were loan default of about Rs 12,000 crore.

“I am waiting only for the governor’s seal of approval on the legislation to rein in the microfinance companies,” Sarma said.

In the first session of the Assembly, Sarma also said that the government will repay the microfinance loans of those needy women even deducting it from their own salaries.

But these promises have been visible only in campaigns and Assembly and zero execution on the ground to date.

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