Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 13 (IANS): The SBI regional office at Alappuzha came under siege from Thursday morning  by local CPI-M legislator P.P. Chitharanjan and numerous fisherfolk as the bank admitted that it has lost the documents given by 13 people as collateral security for a loan availed by their group.

Chitharanjan told the media that the SBI is taking these hapless people for a ride.

“ A group of fisherfolk took a loan in 2005 by pledging their documents and in 2010 the loan was closed. It’s now 13 years that the bank is not doing what they should be doing by returning the documents,” said Chitharanjan.

“ Remember one thing, on quite a few occasions I reminded the bank officials to do the needful. Each time they gave an assurance that it will be done and till date nothing has happened. So on Thursday I decided to come with the victims and sit here before the office. All these years the bank never said the reason it is unable to return the documents was they had been lost. More importantly now they say, the people can have fresh documents made. How is that possible,” asked Chitharanjan.

The loan was taken by the fishermen by pledging their assets in 2005 and they bought new fishing gear and boat.

In 2010 it was the state government which repaid the loan, after the fisherfolk who took the loan were unable to repay it due to various reasons.

According to Chitharanjan, in the past on numerous occasions the bank officials promised him that the documents will be handed over very soon, but it has not happened.

On Thursday the SBI officials was seen asking the media to leave their premises.

However with this news getting publicity the district collector decided to intervene and has called for a meeting of all stakeholders on Friday to settle the issue. Following this, the protest has been called off.