Patna, March 20: Terror-stricken villagers of Rohtas and Kaimur region are buying firearms using Kisan Credit Card (KCC), issued to them through banks for farming.
The Rohtas district administration last year issued licence to 61 people, including two women, hailing from Maoist-affected villages under Chenari, Nauhatta, Rohtas and Chutia police stations of the district, in view of threat to their lives from the rebels.
The Naxalites had warned the residents of these villages of dire consequences for leaking information to police about their activities. Scared, a section of the poor villagers decided to purchase guns for self-defence. But with the price of rifles ranging between Rs 65,000 and Rs 2.5 lakh, money became a hurdle and the villagers chalked out an innovative plan.
The villagers, mostly tribals, approached banks for agriculture loan and managed to get KCCs issued in their names despite residing on Kaimur plateau (hilly terrain).
“Safety is more important for us. We have been used to skip meal because of poverty for decades. But these days we cannot survive without arms. The situation is really alarming in the villages on the hillocks,” said Baban Oraon, a resident of Thumba village under Rohtas police station.
Several mukhiyas (village heads) of Rohtas and Kaimur districts admitted that people purchased licensed weapons using KCCs.
Shyam Nandan Oraon, the mukhiya of Pipradih panchayat, said: “I have heard about arms being bought with the money granted by banks as agriculture loan.” But he refused to divulge more information for obvious reasons.
Lead district manager of the Punjab National Bank (who co-ordinates between the banks and the government agencies) M.K. Nanda admitted that KCC loans had been provided to people belonging to Naxalite-affected villages of Rohtas. “But I have no information about use of KCCs for other purposes. If the report about purchasing arms with KCC money is true, then it is a serious matter,” he added.
Documents available with The Telegraph revealed that residents of Banda village under Nauhatta police station in Rohtas district were issued the highest number of arms licences — 21 — as it was conside red to be the worst Naxalite-hit area. Bhurkura villagers were issued 19 licences and six Urdagga residents got the permission to procure arms. Both Bhurkura and Urdagga are under the jurisdiction of Chenari police station. Pirpadih under Nauhatta police station was allotted four arms licences. Four inhabitants of Hasdi village under Nauhatta police station were given arms licence and three licences were issued to the residents of Auraiya under Chenari police station.
The residents of Jayantipur, Salma, Matiawan, Thumba and Madha villages, considered to be the den of the Naxalites, were also allotted arms licenses by Rohtas district magistrate Anupam Kumar between November and December 2011.
Sources said that Damyanti Oraon, a resident of Madha village was also issued an arms licence. Damayanti is the wife of Sudama Oraon, an area commander of the CPI (Maoist), lodged in Sasaram district jail at present.
About 300 tribals, mostly of Kharbar and Oraon communities, had abandoned their houses and taken shelter in government-run relief camps in Rohtas and Kaimur districts in July-August 2011 because of threat from Maoists. Former deputy inspector-general (Munger range) Amit Kumar had earlier detected that government funds provided under welfare schemes such as Indira Awas Yojana were used for running illegal gun factories in Munger district, notorious for producing not only desi kattas but also for sophisticated weapons.
Kumar, who is at present posted as deputy inspector-general of Purnea range, had also sent a report to the state police headquarters.
