Thread by @RURALINDIA

A story of Organized Loot & Legalized Plunder by a Privately held Israeli Company, a leader in drip-irrigation business in India:-

1. The Company has some really good quality drip irrigation system.
2. It has a wide network of dealers in rural Maharashtra.

3. The dealers have worked tirelessly to spread the use of drip-irrigation across Maharashtra. The generous Government subsidy helped spread the use of drip-irrigation widely.

4. Around 2013-14, the Company got greedy. It floated a finance arm. Got RBI registration.

5. Then lured, enticed, misrepresented, cheated, coarsed, threatened etc the Dealers to sign on dotted line of an unfair lending agreement, providing for usurious rate of interest, that too, at "daily rests".

6. The Dealers, signed blank documents due to compulsions & trust

7. Armed with the finance company, the Company started dumping material on the dealers by December end 2014. (It follows Jan-December Fin year norm)

8. The spike in sales enables the Officers to enjoy bonuses & foreign vacations.

9. The Dealers are then goaded to increase the sales & the interest info is withheld from them.

10. It also offers cash loans to farmers & makes Dealers guarantee it b stealth & misrepresentation & good faith.

11. Massive mis-selling (like costly & unnecessary automation)

12. Things are kept under the wraps & business continues with unfair interest collection & carrot/stick policy.

13. There is a change in ownership of the Company in 2018.

14. Legal notices are issued to Dealers demanding huge sums.

15. Dealers do not seek legal aid & notices remain unreplied. Instead, they opt for conciliation talks, not knowing the implications. Company does not give an inch.

16. The Company files Summary Suits againt nearly 220 Dealers b4 a Court where its' HQ is located.

17. The Dealers are spread across Maharashtra. Mostly, in rural areas. The suits are filed at a place nearly 300-500 kms away.

18. Many are unable to get proper legal assistance at village levels.

19. Now, supplies to all these Dealers have been stopped. They r deep in debt.

19. Collecting dues from the beleguarded farmers is impossible, especially when the farmers allege mis-selling.
Ex : I had not asked for automation worth lacs of rupees. I've not used it. Take it back. I will not pay. The debt is on the Dealers. They are doomed.

20. So, the Dealers (nearly 220 across Maharashtra) find themselves under massive & unlawful debt. Some already have Ex-parte Decrees against them. Their businesses completely shut-down.

21. And nowhere to go. Face unwarranted & unlawful litigation at a far away location.

22. I met a bunch of Dealers about 2 months back. These youngsters have lost hope. They are looking at a bleak future. All for trusting an Isreali company & working day/night to promote it's product - and - spread of drip-irrigation.

23. These Dealers were collectively doing business worth Crores every year. Now it's ZERO. A causative factor behind low GST collections.

24. The State Government needs to step in & find a solution asap. Else, we are looking at more rural distress & suicides.

Hope people like @ShrimantSakal @girishkuber @alka_MIRROR @sayantanbera @parthpunter @GaonConnection @nit_set would give voice to the plight of these Dealers & the farmers who've been unfairly saddled with huge debts, all for greed & avarice of a foreign company.

Thanks 🙏