Guwahati, Jun 17 (PTI) Opposition Raijor Dal on Thursday alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is hand in glove with micro finance institutions, and he "backtracked" on the pre-poll promise of waiving loans availed by women from MFIs.

It also said the state government has also failed to implement the Assam Micro Finance Institutions (Regulation of Money Lending) Act, 2021 that would have "automatically" led to waiver of all (such) loans.

"The chief minister has betrayed 26 lakh women borrowers of the state. Before elections, he repeatedly said all loans from MFIs will be waived but now, his government has come out with a proposal that will benefit only a handful of borrowers.

"He has now joined hands with the MFIs and is safeguarding their interests," Raijor Dal Working President Bhasco De Saikia said.

He said the act would have prevented harassment of women borrowers at the hands of lenders and ensured that agents did not visit their residences for repayment.

"The bill was passed in the state assembly on December 30 last year, and the Governor signed the gazette notification on January 27, but the state government failed to implement it," Saikia told reporters.

"We fear that loopholes have been left in the act so that it can be scrapped later," he added.

Several opposition parties had on Saturday attacked the Assam government for its "U-turn" on waiving microfinance loans as promised before the assembly polls, and accused the BJP of "cheating" people.

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