Kerala: Debt-ridden family thrown out of home

KOZHIKODE: A debt-ridden scheduled caste  family in Changaroth panchayat here  has been ousted from their house through a court order and they are under the mercy of the public to get a roof over their heads. The CJM court ordered the attachment of the house on Monday when the seven-member family  was outside. Consequently, they could not take even the uniforms of the school-going children.

Biju Kallinkal and his family had received land under a government scheme in 2009-10 and the house was built under the EMS housing scheme.  He took a loan of Rs 3,70,000  from a private financing  firm in 2013 to complete the construction. Biju could repay only Rs 70,000 till date.  Four months ago, he had agreed to  pay Rs 2.5 lakh, but  the financier said  the title deed would be returned only if  he pays Rs 8 lakh. Biju cannot sell the house as it is constructed under the government scheme.  His family consists of his  wife, mother, two school-going kids and two  children of his sister, who died one-and-a-half months ago.

“My father, Balan, passed away three months ago. Now, my sister’s children, Ashwani and Aswanth,  are also staying with us. The house was locked on Monday evening when all of us were away and even the uniforms of the  children are inside.  They could not attend classes today because of this,”  Biju, a heart patient, told Deccan Chronicle. He can do only on small jobs  for  his  living. The officials from the ministry for the welfare of  scheduled castes and scheduled tribes  said that they were  helpless as the court had  initiated the procedures. There is a provision to write off the loans up to Rs 1 lakh taken from cooperative societies that are payable up to 2010.