KATHMANDU, AUGUST 13

The taskforce formed to prepare a report on usury today issued a press release urging loan shark victims to lodge their complaints at their district administration offices by August 2 with all evidences of exploitation by loan sharks.

The taskforce said that although it received complaints that usury existed in most of the Tarai districts, including Nawalparasi, it had reasons to believe that people could have been victims of usury in all parts of the country. Keeping this in mind, the taskforce sought complaints from all victims across the country.

The taskforce said that although the process of bringing usurers to book was under way, many loan shark victims have not been able to speak up about their exploitations and seek legal remedies.

The taskforce said that within an hour of its formation yesterday, it held talks with loan shark victims of Pratappur and Susta, Nawalparasi yesterday. Nawalparasi victims had come to Kathmandu to protest against loan sharks.

The home ministry had formed a five-member taskforce to study the situation of loan shark victims and how usury could be controlled.

The taskforce has been mandated to submit its report within a month.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 14, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.