Himachal Pradesh has started taking steps to make a loop of security guidelines against financial fraud.Under it the financial literacy camps will be conducted in coordination with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)and the Securities and exchange board of India (SEBI).
The need for financial literacy camps has arisen after 22 complains were forwarded to the Deputy General of Himachal Police. The financial literacy camps will focus on the employees who are about to retire and the people who have received payment after surrendering their property in the national highway project.
Chief Secretary B.K Agarwal shared the plan while presiding over the State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) meeting, in Shimla today.
He said, ”The workshops on financial literacy would be organized at all three divisional level in which faculty of RBI and SEBI would sensitize the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, representatives of Legal Service Authority and Public Prosecutors and other stakeholders.”
He also instructed the Lead District Managers (LDMs) to coordinate with respective DCs to organise awareness camps in rural areas. He asked them to associate in pre- Jan Manch activities which were proving a big success in redressal of public grievances.
The Chief Secretary directed the regulators to issue cautionary messages through SMS gateway, local TV channels, Radio and local dailies of the state to protect the interests of gullible investors against misleading advertisements and unsolicited calls regarding various fraudulent schemes offered by unscrupulous and unincorporated bodies.
It was informed in the meeting that at present there is no authorized Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) to accept deposits in Himachal Pradesh.
It was revealed that Sachet website of RBI has received around 2000 complaints in the country relating to fictitious offers like offer of cheap loans, asking for processing fees on the pretext of loans, offer of high rate of interests on deposits and offer through fake lottery schemes out of which 22 complaints pertained to Himachal which were forwarded to DGP for further necessary action.
Regional Director, RBI Rachna Dikshit said ,” SLCC forum was constituted to bring all the regulatory and law enforcing agencies at one platform and adopt a consultative and coordinated approach in the matters pertaining to unauthorized acceptance of deposits by unincorporated bodies in the state who take advantage of regulatory gaps and succeed in luring the common man.”
