A Ghaziabad-based farmer has lodged an FIR with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against an Agriculture Officer of Union Bank, Sikandrabad in Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly demanding a bribe from him in lieu of helping him withdraw money from his Kisan Credit Card (KCC) account.
The victim farmer, Narsingh Solanki, told IANS that he had mortgaged his ten bigah farmland to get a loan at a cheap interest rate through KCC.
“The loan was credited to my KCC account, but when I reached the branch, Agriculture Officer Surender demanded a bribe under the pretext of helping me withdraw money from my account. He demanded the bribe through my friend Ashok Kumar,” reads the FIR.
Solanki said that he didn’t want to pay a bribe to the official and decided to approach the CBI.
After receiving the complaint, the CBI lodged an FIR under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The KCC scheme, implemented by NABARD, aims to provide credit to farmers. The scheme simplifies access to credit by issuing credit cards, serving as a one-stop solution for various financial needs of farmers, including crop production, post-harvest expenses, and working capital.
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