Ryot's suicide: Bank concedes demands; farmers call off stir

Mysore, Dec 15 (UNI) The efforts of Mysore District Deputy Commissioner N S Chennappa Gowda to bring about reconciliation between the farmers of KRRS and the ICICI Bank over paying compensation to the family of a farmer, who recently committed suicide, have yielded a positive result.

With the ICICI bank representatives agreeing to deposit Rs ten lakh in the name of Maramma, farmer Manjunath's mother, and the district administration, the farmers called off the stir being staged before the ICICI bank branches.

They were agitating since Monday demanding compensation to the family alleging the farmer had ''committed suicide'' last week, following ''efforts'' of the Bank to recover loans by force.

Mr Gowda recommended the government to pay Rs one lakh as compensation to the family of Manjunath, hailing from Hosapuara in Nanjangud taluk.

As per the reconciliation pact with V Madivannan, senior general manager of ICICI Bank, Mumbai, the Bank would return the documents relating to the farmer's land obtained as security for the loan.

The Bank would, after the completion of a police inquiry, return the tractor which was impounded due to failure in loan remition. The bank would comply with the recommendations of the RBI team, which was probing the alleged suicide, in the matters of penalties.

Stating that there was ''no fault'' on the part of the Bank, Mr Madivannan told reporters that fine would be paid to the family instead of compensation. ''If it is established that the farmer committed suicide due to the bank's fault, the bank would pay fine decided by the government. Rs ten lakh will be deposited in the name of his mother.'' He said, ''the bank does not engage goondas for loan recovery. It has 365 agencies with 35,000 agents assigned for the purpose.'' UNI