Vijayawada: AgriGold Victims Welfare Association has called off its indefinite hunger strike with the assurance given by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu when they met him on Thursday. Association leaders Tirupati Rao and Muppalla Nageswara Rao have met the Chief Minister in his office and explained the pathetic situation of poor and marginal depositors.
“We have requested the CM to consider the problems faced by depositors and requested him to increase the compensation for diseased fro Rs. 3 lakhs to Rs. 5 lakhs for which Chief Minister had readily accepted,”said Mr Nageswara Rao. The Chief Minister had assured that the government will speed up the auction process of AgriGold assets by constituting special district-level committees with SP- level officers, he said. “We have requested the CM to release '1,180 crore deposits of 13 lakh marginal depositors estimated by the CID. The Chief Minister said that they can’t release the amount from the government due to some constraints and assured that auction process will be completed within a time-bond plan of 120 days,” said Mr Nageswara Rao.
The Chief Minister had announced a reward of '10 lakh to those who help in arresting AgriGold promoters and directors who were absconding for years, said Mr Nageswara Rao. Organising secretary of association Tirupati Rao said that they were happy with the CM’s assurances. “The government has considered our problems after 18 days of serious agitation. Mr Chandrababu Naidu said that the government is strengthening Deposit Security Act to avoid such frauds in future,” he said.
“We have withdrawn our agitation for now but will intensify it if the government neglects AgriGold case,” warned Mr Tirupati Rao. Meanwhile, YSR Congress president and leader of the Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the strike camp and assured that he will do justice for the AgriGold victims after he forms government. He alleged that the government is intentionally trying to mislead the case to allow the accused to escape.
