Thiruvananthapuram: The state government on Wednesday issued a stern warning to private financial institutions “pressuring” the landslide-hit people of Wayanad to repay loans, terming the move "inhuman" and "condemnable".
State Public Works Department Minister P A Muhammed Riyas expressed his dismay in a post on Facebook, saying the issue was discussed in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. It is "unacceptable" that private financial institutions are "pressuring" people in relief camps, who have lost loved ones and are struggling to cope, to repay loans at this critical juncture, he said.
Riyas said that government representatives will engage with the management of these institutions to resolve the issue. "If they persist with such a stance, the state government will take stern action," he warned. The government's strong stance came amid reports that certain financial institutions had been telephoning survivors of the July 30 landslides in Wayanad, urging them to repay the loans they had taken.
(With PTI inputs)