These villagers were quietly going about their business. Little did they expect a shower of money in these days of recession.
Complete strangers drove into Masur village in Hirekerur taluk in Haveri district, gave away money to anyone they saw and went away. The whole exercise was over within half an hour. But take note: the strangers have asked the villagers to treat the money as loan and left saying they would come back to collect it with interest.
As of now, however, the villagers are feeling rich. Some have gone to Hubli for shopping and some have decided to visit the Marikamba fair in Sirsi next week. Expectedly, women in the village, are already complaining that the only guy who has got really rich is the wine shop owner.
The villagers relate an interesting tale. An off white coloured SUV drove into the village on Monday morning. Three persons in their mid-40s got off the vehicle and went to a roadside tea stall. They asked the owner if he needed a loan. Then they took out two large gunny bags and gave him Rs 5,000.
By now, the neighbouring shopkeeper got curious and sought to know what was going on. The notes-carrying trio gave him a loan too. Word spread and not before long, half the village had got money.
One of the trio identified himself only as ‘Mr Rao from an Andhra-based finance company, took out a small notebook and began writing down the names of those who had taken money. He also took down their mobile numbers. He told them that they will need to return the money in 14 weekly instalments of Rs 350 each.
It was the strangers’ ‘cashual’ approach which perhaps fooled the gullible villagers into taking the money.
The unsuspecting villagers have been given high-interest loans by these sweet-talking hard sellers. It, of course, does not take a rocket scientist to reveal that these simple villagers will end up paying a huge interest.
Cooperative minister Lakshman Savadi said the state government would take action against such predatory lenders who charge exorbitant rates. “If we receive complaints from any of the villagers or if we find evidence that some of them have been cheated, then department officials will book cases under Karnataka Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act,” Savadi said.
But Gram Panchayat member Shambhugowda Patil, who got Rs 5,000 from the strangers, says he was impressed in the way he gave away money, without insisting for any counter guarantee or mortgage. “Neither did they ask us to fill up an application form nor made us sign a piece of paper. This shows they trust us,” Patil said.
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