Farmers demand immediate refund of their deposits

Aurangabad, Dec 4:

The farmers of Gangapur tehsil today staged a demonstration at Kranti Chowk for a refund of their earnest deposits and withdrew false cases filed against the MLA and others. The agitators also expressed their displeasure against Krishna Patil Dongaonkar.

RPI (Athawale Group) also participated in the agitation. Its district president Sanjay Thokal, Vijay Magare, Sharad Kirtikar, Deepak Sadavarte, Javed Syed and others through a memorandum demanded to withdrew false cases filed against MLA Prashant Bamb and others.

Meanwhile, MNS leader Sanjay Jadhav Patil through a memorandum stated that the associates (farmers, members, sugarcane-growers and well-wishers) paid an earnest deposit during 2011 and 13, on the orders of DRT (Mumbai), to save the Gangapur sugar factory. Later on, the court ordered the factory administration to refund the deposits. Accordingly, the refund process got started. In the meantime, under political pressure, the offences were filed against Bamb and others. Hence these cases should be withdrawn. Besides, the bank accounts of all members which were attached should also be freed.

To recover debts, the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank had sold out the sugar factory. The sale transaction was challenged in the court. In response to which, the DRT (Mumbai) informed to deposit the money, if they wish the claim to proceed. Accordingly, the MLA and sitting chairman of sugar factory Prashant Bamb appealed to the farmers, members, sugar cane growers and well-wishers from the tehsil and raised Rs 9 crore. They also deposited Rs 1.71 crore for inclusion in Samopchar Yojana. Hence, the court cancelled the sale transaction of the factory and directed to refund the earnest deposits.

Acting upon the orders, the factory started transferring the money. It deposited Rs 2.20 crore in the bank accounts of 250 members. Later on, it is alleged that irregularity took place while distributing deposits of 1200 persons. The process of transferring money was stopped and the bank accounts of farmers were attached, stated the complainants.

Jadhav also alleged that Dongaonkar had not contributed a single rupee to save the factory. Instead, the factory went under huge debts during his regime and got closed.