Andhra Pradesh: Some AgriGold victims to get deposits back on Nov 7

The Chief Minister of  Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is expected to distribute cheques to AgriGold depositors. The distribution is set to take place at a public meeting at the Police Parade Grounds in Guntur on Wednesday. The Andhra Pradesh government is all set to make a payment of ₹263.0 crores to 3,69,655 AgriGold victim-depositors who have deposits of less than ₹10,000 with the company, according to a statement by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office.

READ | Andhra Pradesh NGO Files Case Against Panchayat Officials

Fulfilment of the pre-election promise made by Reddy

The move is the fulfilment of the pre-election promise made by Reddy, also the chief of YSR Congress Party, in his Praja Sankalpa Yatra where he had assured AgriGold depositors of resolving their problems upon coming into power. After becoming Chief Minister a decision to make payments to AgriGold victims was taken in his first cabinet meeting. The government has allocated ₹1,150 crore in its budget for AgriGold victims. In the second phase, the government would make payments to depositors who had deposits less than ₹20,000.

After realising that they were cheated by the company, the depositors approached the previous TDP government which did not respond. AgriGold victims organised protests across the state and appealed to Reddy who assured them of support. AgriGold Company has collected Rs 6,380 crore from 32 lakh depositors from seven states by providing attractive interest rates and land through its network. The company was not able to provide money or land to the depositors.

READ | Andhra Pradesh Formation Day Celebrations To Begin From Friday

'This Rs 10,000 crore scam is bigger than the Saradha scam of West Bengal'

On June 5, 2019, BJP Andhra Pradesh unit president Kanna Lakshmi Narayana wrote seven letters to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wherein Narayana had demanded action against culprits in corruption charges. Narayana, in his first letter, stated that 40 lakh families were affected by the Agrigold scam and asked the Chief Minister to order a CBI investigation to punish the culprits. "This Rs 10,000 crore scam is bigger than the Saradha scam of West Bengal. The scam is so grave that nearly Rs 7,000 crores were collected from nearly 32 lakh depositors spread over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Odisha", Narayana wrote.

READ | Andhra Pradesh BJP Chief Writes 7 Letters To CM Jagan Mohan Reddy

READ | Andhra Pradesh: CM Meets Experts To Improve Education In The State

(With inputs from ANI)