Amid the scorching heat on Wednesday, thousands of duped chit fund investors staged a rally in front of the State Assembly here, demanding return of their hard earned money.
Under the banner of Arthika Sansthamanankadwara Kshatigrastanka Milita Mancha (ASKMM), the poor investors hit the streets of the Capital city which was scorching at 44.0 degree Celsius.
The duped investors led by Communist Party of India's national secretary D Raja, CPI (M) State secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik and Mancha president Jayant Das came in a procession starting from the Master Canteen Square to the lower PMG to show their strength to put pressure on the State Government to address their issues.
Addressing the rally, Raja said he had raised the chit fund issue in Parliament in 2011 and urged the UPA Government to take necessary steps to keep vigil on the ponzi firms operating across the country. As per the direction of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the SEBI and the District Collectors of all the States were told to keep a close watch on the firms. But the States didn't take immediate steps to check the illegal operations of the firms, he lamented.
When the chit fund investors took to the streets against the ponzi firms, Raja said, the State Governments woke up from their deep slumber. He appreciated the investors of Odisha for continuing their fight to get their money back and advised the depositors to take the fight to a logical conclusion.
He alleged that there is a secret understanding between the BJD and the BJP to cover up the chit fund issue.
Mancha president Das said the State Cabinet in April had decided to return the duped investors' money in one and a half months, but nothing happened within the deadline. "Even a single investor didn't get his/her money back within the timeframe," Das said.
Das said the CBI inquiry in the State has been slowed down mysteriously during the last three months. Out of 175 chit fund firms, properties of only 11 companies have been attached. If the Government doesn't attach the properties of fraudulent firms, how will the investors get their deposited money back," Das asked.
The Mancha president said they would begin a civil disobedience movement across the State from July 15 against the State Government's apathy towards fulfilling their demands. "We will not tolerate more dilly-dallying on the sensitive issue," he added. Among others, Mancha advisor Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Rabi Das, Prafulla Samantara, CPI's national council member Ramakrushna Panda, CPI (Ml) Red Star State secretary Shivram, Forward Bloc State secretary Jyoti Mohapatra, Samajwadi Party State president Rabi Behera, chit fund petitioner in the Supreme Court Alok Jena and members of ASKMM were present.