Tribal farmers duped: CM orders probe

Bhopal, Jan 13 (UNI) Several tribal farmers of Mohgaonmal village in Mandla district have been duped of few lakh of rupees by forcing them to avail bank loan for a community lift irrigation scheme nine years ago, but the project is yet to take off.

A delegation of the farmers called on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here yesterday after the banks served them notices to confiscate their land due to non-payment of loan.

Mr Chouhan ordered a high-level inquiry into the irregularities and asked Jabalpur Divisional Commissioner Anil Shrivastava to submit the report within a week, official sources said.

The farmers were forced to avail Rs 12.50 lakh as loan from the bank in 1998-99 for payment of their share for the group lift irrigation scheme, but the government agencies did not carry out the construction work so far. They sought the Chief Minister's intervention.

UNI