August 30: The poor people who owe a huge amount of money to fraud moneylenders in Janakpur recently shared their ordeal with the members of the government-formed panel on how the lenders charge exorbitant interest rate.    
Ram Briksha Mahara of Bateshwor Rural Municipality-2 in Dhanusha shared how he was made victim by the loan sharks.    
The victims shared their stories during an interaction held among the victims and people's representatives the recommendation committee formed by the Home Ministry to control crime on exorbitant charging of interest on loan provided by informal money lenders.    
Mahara, one of the victims of the illegal act, said he received threats from the lenders for seeking his land plots that the loan shark claimed after failing to repay the loan. According to Mahara, he was forced to register his land plot in the name of a lender after failing to pay Rs 175,000 in debt taken a decade ago.    
"In addition, the moneylender made a document for a loan of Rs 600,000," Mahara said adding that he has not received the land plot despite repaying the amount.    
Subodh Sahu of Mithila Municipality-1 also shared that he was forced to sign on document seeking millions in dues to a moneylender from Janakpur for receiving Rs 2.5 million in loan some six years ago.    
According to Sahu, the lender is still seeking Rs 1.5 million although he repaid the loan by selling his land.    
On the occasion, the victims said that the loan sharks have prepared documents claiming five times more money than the real amount; their land plots put in collateral were not returned and they were rendered landless.    
Upon hearing the complaints from the victims, Joint Secretary and Coordinator of the Taskforce Dr Bhisma Kumar Bhusal said they were touched by the sufferings of the locals at the hand of the loan sharks.    
"We had not even imaged that the issue was such chronic," Dr Bhusal said, adding that the taskforce has taken this issue seriously and would submit its report to the government on the basis of facts and evidences.    
Coordinator Dr Bhusal also said there was no deadline to file a complaint against the loan sharks and the victims could submit their applications anytime.    
On the occasion, Chief District Officer of Dhanusha Surendra Poudel said a total of 192 applications relating to the matter have been lodged in Dhanusha district and investigations were initiated over them.-- RSS