‘Both Centre, State failed on the issue’

Members of the AgriGold Customers and Agents’ Welfare Association has asked the Centre to release Rs. 3,000-crore relief to the victims immediately.

As the multi-crore scam was reported in eight States and some lakhs of depositors were suffering due to the fraud, the Centre should intervene into the matter, said association honorary president Muppalla Nageswara Rao.

He blamed the BJP leaders for trying to gain political mileage out of AgriGold scam, instead of rendering justice to the depositors.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, Mr. Nageswara Rao said the State government which announced to appoint a high-power committee, release Rs. 200 crore corpus fund and appoint an advocate to argue the case failed to keep up the promises. Former MLC Jelly Wilson alleged that the government’s arguments in the case were weak and both BJP and TDP governments were playing blame game on AgriGold issue and were deceiving the depositors in the State.

The association leaders questioned whether the BJP was supporting the AgriGold company or the victims, and demanded beginning of the auction process without any delay.

Association media representative Ch. Yeswanth urged the government to purchase the company’s assets including Hailand, power projects, dairy units and other projects and return the deposits to the victims. Mr. Nageswara Rao appealed to the victims to make the ‘Dharmagraha Deeksha’, proposed at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on November 1 and 2, a success.