I withstood all hurdles and opposition to Loan Mela programme. I did not even care for threats. For many days, I used to have only dinner and spend the day on biscuits. One day, I was in Madhav Rao Scindhia's Constituency in Madhya Pradesh to conduct a Loan Mela. We landed there at 7 am. ''You should come to my palace for lunch," Scindhia requested "People will be waiting in queue for hours for loans. I don't want to trouble them. I can't come. You please go to the palace for lunch," I said. He also refused to go. I gave him biscuits that I had carried.

When the programme was over it was 3 am in the next day. After seeing off all the people and the Bank staff, we proceeded towards the airport. We were passing through the Chambal valley. Suddenly, the lights of our car went off. There was pitch darkness everywhere. We me, my Secretary and the driver could not even see each other's faces. Security personnel staff or pilot vehicles for Ministers did not exist then. While we were waiting there cluelessly, a lorry came and we followed it till the airport. It was morning when we reached Delhi. This was how our schedule was in those days.

Loan Melas were held from Kanyakumari to Himalaya and from Gujarat to Andaman and Nicobar. In Nicobar, there are some places, where women did not even wear blouses. They used to tie green leaves around their waist. I went to such places where Officers refused to go. I toured across the length and breadth of the country for six years and two months. And only two people understood my pain and struggle. They are Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. I used to tell people that Loan Mela is a Congress programme. Opposition Parties also had appreciation for me, but they refused to express it in public fearing their Party might lose elections. "We know Poojary is doing good work, but what to do? He is threatening our future. So we are forced to oppose him," they used to confide in private.