AgriGold Customers and Agents Welfare Association honourary president Muppalla Nageswara Rao addressing the press conference in Vijayawada on Monday. | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

AgriGold victims to hold ‘Maha Vignapana Deeksha’ on October 28

AgriGold Customers and Agents Welfare Association urges the State government to protect AgriGold’s assets, bring a swift resolution to the court case, and support the victims, especially those in dire situations

by · The Hindu

The AgriGold Customers and Agents Welfare Association has decided to organise a ‘Maha Vignapana Deeksha’ protest at Dharna Chowk here on October 28 to urge the State government.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, October 21, the association’s honorary president Muppalla Nageswara Rao and deputy general secretary Chandrasekhar have said that the AgriGold customers and agents have been waiting for justice for the last 10 years.

Thousands of families have been suffering due to the fraud committed by AgriGold company, they said.

The TDP-led NDA government, in its election manifesto, promised to resolve the issue by selling AgriGold’s assets. Recently, the association submitted a petition to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, urging him to solve their problem. Due to the State’s current financial instability, they did not demand immediate funds but stressed that it was the government’s responsibility to protect AgriGold’s assets, resolve the court case, and support the victims, especially those in dire situations.

They added that they requested the government to recover ₹500 crore collected under the name of Agriparivar and requested swift resolution of the ongoing case in the Eluru court.

Mr. Nageswara Rao said the AgriGold was selling off its assets indiscriminately, including the benami properties.

The association requested the government to attach assets absolutely through the court and retain them under government control.

He said the vast real estate land could be converted into smaller plots, and auctioning them would generate double the funds, benefiting both the government and the victims.

The association also urged the government to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) consisting of competent officials visiting districts across the State to gather grievances from the victims. 

In the past, the YSRCP-led State government paid a mere ₹906 crore to the victims, and since YSRCP failed to solve their problems, the party faced a bitter defeat in the elections, they said. 

YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised compensation of ₹10 lakh to the families of deceased victims and ₹20,000 to the depositors within six months of coming to power. However, after getting elected, he failed even to acknowledge or address the grievances of the victims, they lamented. 

Published - October 21, 2024 07:53 pm IST