CHANGLANG, Sep 27: The North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP) recently organised a series of SHGs-bankers meets here and in Jairampur, Bordumsa, Miao, Kharsang and Diyun subdivisions.
The NERCORMP has so far promoted 893 SHGs in Changlang district. “However, the progress of credit linkages with banks in the district is not upto the mark,” the NABARD, which, along with the district administration, collaborated with the NERCORMP in conducting the meets, stated in a release.
The SHGs-banks linkage programme was started at the initiative of the NABARD in 1992 to link the unorganized sector with the formal banking sector.
“Under this programme, banks provide loans to the SHGs against group guarantee, and the quantum of loans could be several times the deposits placed by such SHGs with the banks,” the NABARD said, adding that lending to SHGs “should be included by the banks as part of their lending to the weaker sections.”
As per the RBI’s latest (May 2016) priority sector lending norms, “bank credit to members of SHGs is eligible for priority sector advance under agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises, social infrastructure, and others,” it said.
During the programme here, NERCORMP District Project Director N Sukajit encouraged the SHG members to “build trust with bankers and avail facilities provided by the bank,” while NABARD DDM Kamal Roy apprised the participants of the process of SHG account opening, government schemes, and the process of applying for SHG loans.
He also spoke about plastic waste management.
Changlang SBI Branch Manager Tarun Rai shared his experience of working with SHGs in Andhra Pradesh, and Jayanta Dutta dwelt on his experience working with community institutions, and explained how credit linkage can help boost the rural economy.
Meeting on bank linkages held
In Jairampur, over 70 members of SHGs based in Jairampur, Nampong and Manmao participated in a meeting on ‘bank credit linkages and financial literacy’ organised by the RK Mossang Memorial Society (RKMMS) and NGO Machan on Friday.
ADC SS Choudhury apprised the participants of the meeting’s objective of discussing problems faced by SHGs in banking-related issues, updating passbooks, applying for loans, cash withdrawal and deposits, etc, “for smooth functioning of the SHGs and improving the village economy.”
He also spoke about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the plastic-free campaign of the union government.
Jairampur SBI Branch Manager N Gogoi spoke on the need for third-party funding for SHGs, and said the SBI branch here is “always ready to provide fund on loan.”
He advised the participants to use the SBI’s YONO app, which has all banking facilities. Gogoi also apprised them of the documents required to seek loans.
NERCORMP Supervising Officer Rituparna Borah also spoke.
