Chit fund business still thriving in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 3:

Despite a series of raids by the Odisha Crime Branch police on several chit fund companies, the illegal business still continues in the state.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state Crime Branch, which had provided its new toll free number 18003457103 on January 28 requesting the people to inform about chit fund activities in the state, has so far received over 400 calls with information on rampant chit fund business in several areas of the state including the state capital.

However, the local police have no information about this.

As per the calls received by the Crime Branch, there has been rampant chit fund business in Ganjam, Gajapati, Baleswar and Bhubaneswar.

In the capital city, a group of local traders and businessmen of some slums and weekly markets are actively involved in chit fund activities.

“The duped depositors have also informed the Crime Branch police about the non-cooperation of the local police who are not receiving their complaints against the chit fund owners. We are also receiving calls from the people asking us when they would get back the money they had invested in the chit fund companies,” said a senior Crime Branch official.

“We have been receiving several calls from the people who are also collecting information and suggestions from us about the cases the Crime Branch would take up and cases it would register on the basis of the amount of fraud by the concerned chit fund companies”, Crime Branch DIG Sanjay Kumar told Sambad on Monday.

He also said the Crime Branch would take up a massive campaign to make people aware of the chit fund companies and their activities in the state very soon.

“We have decided to take up the awareness campaign through several newspapers, vernacular dailies, TV news channels, radio and distribution of leaflets”, Kumar added.