REENA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is filed by the petitioner seeking direction to respondents 2 to 7 to consider Ext.P3 application and grant loan to the petitioner in accordance with Ext.P1 Scheme within a period of two weeks, and for other consequential reliefs. Brief material facts for the disposal of the writ petition are as follows:

(2.) Petitioner is an unmarried woman who wants to set up a Greenfield enterprise of packing and re- packing unit at Kombodinjamakkal, Thrissur District, in respect of packing/re-packing of grocery, food articles etc. etc. by using machinery. According to the petitioner, she has sufficient experience in the field. Thereupon, in accordance with Ext.P1 Scheme launched by the Government of India in the name "Stand- Up India" to provide financial aid or support to entrepreneur, such as people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes or any women entrepreneur, petitioner applied for loan before the respondent Banks. The 5th respondent i.e., the Canara Bank is the lead Bank. Case of the petitioner is that, petitioner is fully eligible to have the benefits of the Scheme and in accordance with the stipulations contained under the Scheme, application was submitted through online and the application was accepted. Petitioner opted three banks viz., (1) Canara Bank; (2) Bank of Baroda; and (3) State Bank of India, Thrissur District respectively, evident from Ext.P3.

(3.) Even though petitioner has submitted an application on 19.11.2018, no action was taken to dispose of the application taking into account the stipulations contained under Ext.P1 Scheme to dispose of the application, within three weeks. Therefore, petitioner filed Exts.P4 to P6 complaints before the aforesaid Banks. After the filing of the complaints, the Bank of Baroda has issued a letter through E-mail, stating that the said Bank is not interested in granting the loan, evident from Ext.P7. It is also projected by the petitioner that Ext.P7 is not in accordance with the provisions of the Scheme, and further, the bank cannot decline the loan stating that Bank is not interested, since if the petitioner fulfils the criteria, the Bank is duty bound to sanction the loan as per the Scheme. It is also pointed out that, the other Banks have not even cared to issue any reply to the application submitted by the petitioner.