×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

80-yr-old-coffee grower fights for safe future

Seetharam started a legal battle in 2005 seeking waiver of farm loan
Last Updated 05 August 2017, 17:38 IST
This is the story of a 12-year-long of legal fight by an 80-year old coffee planter from Kodagu – K S Seetharam of Hardoor in Suntikoppa, Somwarpet taluk.

Although all the coffee growers who had supported him withdrew their support over a period of time, he fought in the Supreme Court all alone to ensure that the farming community should not face injustice in future.

He owns a 20-acre coffee estate in Hardoor. When coffee prices slashed drastically in 2005, he decided to fight for the cause of growers, demanding that loans and interest borrowed by the growers from banks be waived. Bowing to pressure from the coffee planters protest, the Centre announced special coffee loan repayment programme. In spite of it, some banks refused to help the coffee growers. The growers failed to get justice, however, they remained silent.

Under the coffee loan repayment programme, the government in its order on May 26, 2005 had directed the bank and the Coffee Board to pay the interest amount on the loans borrowed by the growers, if the growers had repaid one-third of the loan borrowed. Seetharam, however, had repaid the interest amount before the government order was passed. The bank officials refused to repay the paid amount. Seeking justice, Seetharam filed a complaint against the bank and the Coffee Board in the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum.

The Forum, which heard the case, asked the bank to pay a fine of Rs 500 and expenses of Rs 500 to Seetharam and also asked the bank and the Board to return the interest amount paid by him. The officials in turn filed an appeal in the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, but their appeal was rejected.

They later filed an appeal in the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. The bank and the Board suffered a setback from the Commission as well, but they approached the Supreme Court.

The court on August 3, in turn, upheld the verdict of the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum.

With this, the lone fight by Seetharam has received justice.

Speaking to DH, Seetharam said that the Central government’s programme on loan repayment was aimed at helping farmers who had honestly repaid the loan. “The judge had said that it was not right on the part of the Coffee Board and the bank officers for failing to return the interest amount paid by him,” he said.

“Based on the directions, the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum had given Rs 1.57 lakh after making me sign on a sheet of paper. In case the Supreme Court’s verdict was not in my favour, I should have returned the amount,” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 05 August 2017, 17:37 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT