THRISSUR: A recent sit-in protest by a group of people, in front of a ruling CPI(M)-controlled co-operative bank with the body of a woman, alleging that it denied money for her treatment although the family had deposited lakhs of rupees there, has snowballed into a political controversy, following which Kerala Social Justice Minister R Bindhu offered to support the depositors.
Bindhu, who represents Irinjalakuda in the state Assemby where the bank is located, said the matter was taken up with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Co-operative Minister V N Vasavan assured to give Rs 25 crore to the bank immediately to resolve its issues.
The Marxist party-controlled Karavannur Co-Operative bank, located in this district, has been in news for the last one year after a Rs 100 crore loan scam was reported there and also over the protest staged by investors demanding their money back.
“As the bank is located in my constituency, it is my responsibility to stand with the affected people. The Co-operative minister informed that Rs 25 crore will be made available to the Karavannur Bank,” she told reporters here.
Her assurance came a day after she was widely criticised for her comments justifying the authorities of the scam-hit bank, saying it had already released money for the treatment of Philomina, a 70-year-old depositor who died early this week following an infection in brain.
Bindhu had called the protest ‘politically motivated’ and said it…
