ISLAMABAD, June 14: Khushhali Bank has disbursed over Rs68 million among 7,677 households affected by the Nullah Leh floods in Rawalpindi in 2001, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz informed National Assembly on Saturday.

Responding to a question asked by MMA member Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, the minister in a written reply said the amount was paid through a network of 15 service centres in Rawalpindi.

He further said that the SME Bank had provided 1 per cent relief on the mark-up to the traders affected by the flood.

Mr Abbasi in a written question reminded Mr Aziz that during his visit, he had promised to give relief to the traders and people, affected from the flash-floods.

The minister said two officers were designated to sit at District Nazim office in order to provide easy access to flood affected people and swift processing of their applications.

He mentioned that Qarz-i-Hasna amounting to Rs322,000 was provided to 60 flood affected people through a fund raised by the SME Bank employees by contributing one-day salary.

The minister said the Bank also implemented three pilot projects of small infrastructure that was clean drinking water and sewing centre for women.

Mr Aziz said that NBP had set up a committee of senior executives to personally contact the borrowers. The members of the committee also personally visited 50 borrowers to facilitate them, he added.

However, the flood affected traders have complained against the harassment of recovery staff of SME Bank and demanded of the Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to waive the interest on the amount of Rs300,000 and make easy instalments of original amount.

“The last date of submitting an instalment of the borrowed amount is June 30 but the recovery staff daily came to our houses and if we were not present they (recovery staff) insulted our women and children”, a trader on condition of anonymity said.

He further said the recovery officers often picked us from the roads like kidnappers and take us to their private jails situated near Khanna Pul.

In their private jail they take bribe of Rs2000 or Rs3,000 and release us, he added.

It is worth mentioning that the Lahore High Court has directed the Bank to close their private jails and stop harassment of borrowers but the jails are still working and the recovery staff is busy in harassment of borrowers.—PPI