Bidar: Former Minister and veteran cooperative leader Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, who was buried on Wednesday at Chintaki village in Aurad taluk, was known for his flamboyant style of living as much for his contributions to the cooperative sector in the district.
Unlike many leaders who have made a big name in politics, Mr. Nagamarapalli was not born with silver spoon in his mouth. But he lived a ‘princely life’ all through his life and never hesitated to flaunt his liking for the good things in life.
Many a people raised their eyebrows when Mr. Nagamarapalli had declared that he owned 91 kg silver, 2.5 kg gold, seven luxury cars and several enterprises in different parts of the country, besides owning properties in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other big cities.
Read | Veteran cooperative leader Nagamarapalli passes away
The mobile set he carried was said to be worth Rs 15 lakh and the wrist watch was worth Rs 5 lakhs. He had several pairs of shoes worth over Rs 25,000 each. Besides a golden bracelet, gold rimmed spectacles and at least half a dozen gold and diamond rings, Mr. Nagamarapalli always wore shirts which had golden buttons.
Described as “a leader with large heart”, Mr. Nagamarapalli has contributed so much for the economic development and progress of the farming community as well as rural women through the cooperative institutions he has built.
That the Bidar District Central Cooperative Bank that he headed since 1985, releases crop loans to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore annually to six out of every ten farmers in the district speaks volumes about the role played by the man in improving the economic condition of the people in the district. The bank this year has lent an additional Rs 900 crore to the farmers in view of the drought condition prevailing in the district.
Around 22,000 self help groups promoted by the bank in 600 villages and 300 hamlets have deposited around Rs 100 crore in banks and their internal lending crosses Rs 600 crore. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has appreciated the DCC bank’s promotion and linkage of SHGs and recognised Bidar as a SHG district
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