The Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam gears up for 10-day Dasara festival which begins from October 3, in Vijayawada. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI

Home Minister warns against excessive interest collection

by · The Hindu

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha has asserted that stringent action will be taken against the money lenders who harass people with exorbitant interest rates.

The Home Minister visited Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri, the abode of goddess Kanaka Durga, here on Wednesday. She inspected the arrangements being made for the Dasara festival.

Later, speaking to the mediapersons, Ms. Anitha condemned the recent Eluru call money incident. The govenrment would take a serious view of money lenders who charge exorbitant interest and impose penalties for delayed payments. “Those exploiting people with high-interest rates and illegal collections will face criminal charges,” she said adding that the State government would establish a Statewide surveillance system to crack down on such practices. 

Dasara festivities

Referring to the Dasara festival, the Home Minister said that necessary security measures were being taken to ensure a smooth and safe experience for devotees during the upcoming Devi Sarannavaratri celebrations from October 3 to 12. Special queue lines had been arranged for children, women, and the elderly to make their temple visits hassle-free. She highlighted the government’s commitment to “friendly policing,” asserting that there would be zero tolerance for any misbehaviour towards devotees, referring to incidents from previous years. “We have allocated specific time slots for protocol visits to ensure that the common devotees are not inconvenienced,” she said.

As part of preparations for the 10-day festival, over 6,000 police personnel had been deployed across the district.  A Command Centre had been established in Vijayawada under the supervision of the Police Commissionerate to effectively monitor security. “We have installed 500 CCTV cameras and deployed drones to enhance surveillance and ensure safety,” she said, stressing the importance of pro-active measures to prevent any untoward incidents.

Published - October 03, 2024 08:23 am IST