Headlines
Congress demands CBI probe into chit fund groups in Tripura
Agartala, March 28
The Congress on Saturday
demanded a CBI probe into the activities of all illegal non-banking
financial companies (NBFCs) and chit fund organisations in Tripura.
The
Congress alleged that the ruling CPI-M (Communist Party of
India-Marxist) leaders and members were involved in the activities of
chit fund groups, an accusation which was strongly refuted by the Left
party.
The party made the demand after its leaders met Tripura Governor P.B. Acharya on Saturday.
"We
have urged the governor to request the central government to depute the
CBI to inquire into all aspects of the activities of illegal NBFCs and
chit fund organisations in Tripura," opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman
told reporters.
He said: "The Central Bureau of Investigation has
so far taken up very few cases filed against the chit fund
organisations. We want the CBI to probe all aspects of their activities
and involvement of high profile persons."
"Chief Minister Manik
Sarkar and several CPI-M leaders had on a number of occasions attended
the functions of chit fund organisations," he added.
On Friday,
the Congress released a booklet showing government documents and
photographs about the activities of the unauthorised NBFCs and chit fund
groups.
The party has also announced that it would soon meet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request him to direct the CBI to probe
the fraudulent activities of chit fund companies in Tripura.
"If the central government did not accept our demand, we would organise sit-in demonstrations in New Delhi," Barman said.
"The
Tripura government is not taking effective steps against illegal chit
fund companies and NBFCs which have been collecting crores of rupees
from the market," the Congress leader said.
Refuting the
Congress' allegations, CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said Tripura's
Left Front government was the first in India to enact laws to curb the
unlawful activities of the chit fund companies and NBFCs and repeatedly
asked the CBI to investigate their activities.
"The Congress has
no issue and they are playing an old record just to misguide the
people," Dhar, also a CPI-M central committee member, told reporters.
The
Tripura High Court last week asked the state government to set up a
Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the activities of illegal
NBFCs and chit fund organisations.
In 2013, the Tripura
government referred 37 cases relating to chit fund companies and NBFCs
to the CBI. The central probe agency, however, has taken up only five
cases.
Unauthorised chit fund companies and NBFCs have mushroomed in the northeastern region in recent years.
They
lure depositors by promising exceptionally hefty rates of interest
ranging from 25 percent to 30 percent. After collecting the money, they
quietly end their operations and vanish.