AP State to concede six demands

Vijayawada: After four years of relentless fight by the AgriGold Customers and Agents Welfare Association, the State government agreed to fulfill six main demands of the Association. 

Social Welfare Minister Nakka Ananda Babu and Minister for Information and Public Relations Kalava Srinivasulu spoke to the association leaders including its honorary president Muppalla Nageswara Rao, president B Viswanatha Reddy and secretary V Tirupati Rao and others here late on Saturday night. 

The Ministers offered lemon juice to them to make them withdraw their indefinite fast. The Ministers assured that the government would find a solution to the four-year-old problem being faced by 32 lakh customers.

Addressing a media conference on Sunday at the CPI state office, Muppalla Nageswara Rao said the Ministers assured that the government would start repayment of deposits to the customers, who had deposited between Rs 5000 and Rs 10,000. 

He said the repayment process will begin by the end of January 2019 and would continue. He said more than 10 lakh customers had invested in deposits between Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000.

He further said the Ministers also agreed to submit an affidavit to the High Court before January 12 for the formation of district-level committees for the auction of properties belong to AgriGold in each district. Muppalla said the committees will be headed by District Collector as chairman and Superintendent of Police and Registrar as the members.

He said the Ministers also agreed to speed up the process for the auction of Haailand property located near Mangalagiri and appoint a retired High Court Judge for the supervision on the repayment of deposits to the depositors.

Association president Viswanatha Reddy said the Ministers agreed to pay ex gratia to the families of nearly 70 victims who died in recent months. The government gave its nod to pay Rs 5 lakh to each victim’s family after their family members took part in relay fasts, he said. 

He said the two Ministers agreed to take up the responsibility for the auction of Haailand property and speed up the investigation and punish the culprits, who purchased the AgriGold properties with bename names. Association secretary V Tirupati Rao and other members were present at the press conference.