Save AgriGold depositors, opposition parties demand govt

Amaravati: Leaders of various political parities extended their cooperation to the AgriGold victims and staged a massive dharna here at ANU premises to mount pressure on the government to refund deposits of the affected on Wednesday.

A large number of people from different places in Guntur district gathered on NH-5 at ANU. They raised slogans against the government and AgriGold Company.

YSRCP, CPI, and CPI (M) leaders demanded the State government to ensure payment of amounts to the victims by liquidating the company’s assets. Traffic came to a standstill for about an hour on the both sides of the national highway for more an hour. Police swung to the action to clear the blockade.

Addressing the gathering CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna and CPI (M) leader P Madhu accused the government of failing to repay the depositors’ amount held back by AgriGold. They alleged that the government was yielding to pressure from the firm’s promoters and failing to keep its promise with regard to liquidation of AgriGold assets.

They demanded the government to take necessary steps to repay depositors amount immediately. Intellectual Forum leader Chalasani Srinivas also spoke. Venkateswarlu, one of the victims, said there was no response from the government although around 100 customers had resorted to suicides in the State so far.

The deposits were diverted into realty and the values of the immovable assets owned by the company went up manifold. But depositors were facing severe financial problems, he rued.