PANAJI

The Union Minister for Finance (state) Shiv Pratap Shukla has instructed the finance secretary to ask the banks to be lenient with their action on recovering loans from Goa Barge Owners. They have been granted six months grace time. This was informed after the State Level Banking Commmittee (SLBC) meeting was held in Panaji recently.

Speaking to the media persons, Goa Barge Owners Association president, Raymond D’sa said, ” The banks had started taking actions on us by serving us house auction notices. We are not wilful defaulters, therefore a State Level Bankers’ Committee meeting was held and it was decided that the banks would direct their head offices to stop taking action for next six months. We are not demanding a 100 per cent loan waiver but only asking to freeze our loans under OTS Debt Relief Scheme, and we are ready to repay the loans after the business resumes.” 

It may be recalled that GBOA committee members had met Shukla in Delhi and submitted a memorandum requesting financial assistance/loan of Rs. 100 cr from Govt financial institutions to enable starting of business and pay off loans.