Sonepur, Mar 26: In a shocking revelation that has left citizens in disbelief, the Sonepur district of Odisha is grappling with a staggering loan scam involving falsified documents and fake identities.

Cooperative societies in the Birmaharajpur block have allegedly used minors’ names, exaggerated ages, and even non-existent borrowers to approve loans worth lakhs. The victims include small-scale farmers and even children, whose Aadhaar cards and certificates have been misused without consent.

In one such case, a 7-year-old girl was recorded as a 38-year-old borrower, raising baffling questions about the authenticity of the bank's processes. Shockingly, her family denies any involvement or knowledge of such loans.

Reports suggest that irregularities date back to 2013, with some loans sanctioned to individuals using tampered birth years and other discrepancies. Critics point fingers at the management of cooperative societies and demand a thorough investigation into these fraudulent activities.

According to reports, in 2013, a loan of Rs 51,000 was taken under the name of Mami Mirdha from the Hilung Society of Birmaharajpur block in Sonepur. The documents indicated her age as 38 years at the time, yet her Aadhaar and 10th-grade certificate reveal she was only 7 years old.

This raises questions about the authenticity of the loan documentation. Currently, Mami is 19 years old, and her actual date of birth is 2005 — not 1986 as stated in the loan papers.

Mami's family denies any knowledge of the loan or signing any documents related to it. Astonishingly, the cooperative bank manager reportedly remains unaware of this scam. This is just one of many such cases where minors’ identities and fabricated details were used to exploit cooperative banking systems for financial gain.

At Hilung Society, similar fake loans were issued in the names of hundreds of farmers and even minors. One such instance involves Gopal Singh from Hilung village. One day, a society employee reportedly visited his house asking for his Aadhaar card, citing an existing loan in his name. This left Gopal bewildered as he had never applied for a loan. According to the records, Rs 16,500 was sanctioned in his name.

Such fraudulent activities, dating back to 2013 during the BJD regime, indicate severe corruption within the cooperative banking system. Despite the magnitude of this scam, it is astonishing that no formal investigation has been initiated yet.

Calls for transparency and legal accountability are growing louder, urging the government and authorities to take swift action against those responsible. This scam not only highlights systemic inefficiencies but also the vulnerabilities of rural banking sectors, risking the trust of small-scale farmers and ordinary citizens.

As the investigation unfolds, the spotlight remains firmly on cooperative societies and the need to reform accountability mechanisms in the financial sector.

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