Meter usury victims from Nawalparasi & other areas arrived in Kathmandu (photos)
Previously, after talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs, they returned home after suspending their sit-in for 16 days and came to Kathmandu to put pressure on the federal government once more.
KATHMANDU: Meter usury victims from Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) and other areas have arrived in Kathmandu.
Previously, after talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs, they returned home after suspending their sit-in for 16 days and came to Kathmandu to put pressure on the federal government once more, claiming that the government had not resolved their issues.
They claim that despite negotiations with the government, the issue of meter interest has not been resolved, forcing them to stage a dharna.
The victims, led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee against meter interest and fraud, have demanded that the land of landless farmers be returned and that all money be returned with compensation as prescribed by law.
Today, Nirgha Nabin, spokesperson for the Kisan-Majdur Sangharsh Samiti, announced that approximately 450 victims from the districts of Kailali, Banke, Dang, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Jhapa, Sunsari, Tanahun, Kaski, Udayapur, and Madhesh had traveled to the federal capital in search of justice.
The victims from these various locations gathered in Tripureshwor this morning, then walked to Maitighar and sat in Bhadrakali in front of the main entrance of Singha Darbar, raising slogans to draw the attention of the government.
What is in the law?
The Civil Code Act 2074 makes it an offense for any lender to make a loan with an interest rate greater than 10%.
Subsection 1 of Section 478 of the Civil Code 2074 states that the creditor may not charge interest in excess of 10% per year.
Similarly, in the Criminal Code 2074, there is a provision for 7 years imprisonment and a fine of up to 70,000 depending on the nature of the fraud.
However, in section 279, it is said that if the act was done knowingly or unknowingly with the intention of fraudulently causing financial loss or benefit to someone, or if a document is made with false dates, numbers or usages, or if a person makes or causes to be stamped on such a document, or if he does any act pretending to be entitled to something that he is not entitled to. It is mentioned that the crime of forgery has been committed.
According to the law, such an offense is punishable by imprisonment for three years and a fine of 30,000 or both.
Meter usury victims from 10 districts in Madesh and Koshi State arrived in Kathmandu a few weeks ago after walking for 12 days from Mahottari.
On April 1, they met with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and told him their story.
Even during the current session of Parliament, MPs spoke out in support of the victims during special and zero time.
-Saroj Basnet/MK
