The Hindu : Karnataka / Bellary News : State Bank of India to observe year of self-help groups

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bellary

State Bank of India to observe year of self-help groups

By Our Staff Correspondent

Mahapar Ali (left), General Manager, SBI, handing over a cheque to a member of a SHG at a function organized in Bellary on Thursday. S. Vaidyanathan, Assistant General Manager, SBI Bangalore, and H.A.P. Rao, Assistant General Manager, NABARD, are se en.

BELLARY, JAN. 6. The State Bank of India (SBI) will be observing the year of self-help groups (SHG) this year and will extend financial assistance to SHGs, according to Mahapar Ali, General Manager, Bangalore.

She was speaking at a function organised by SBI, Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to distribute cheques to SHGs coming under the Gram Shayog Nivas Yojana (rural housing) and for other economic activities undertaken by them here on Thursday. Around 800 members of several SHGs participated.

Ms. Ali said that since SHGs had proven to function effectively, the banks and the Union and State Governments were keen on extending necessary assistance, including finance. She exhorted the SHGs in the district to take advantage of the assistance extended by banks and through various schemes announced by the Government.

The Assistant General Manager, SBI Bangalore, S. Vaidyanathan, hoped that the SHGs put the assistance extended to proper use.

H.A.P. Rao, Assistant General Manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Bellary, said that the SHG concept had ushered in a revolution in the country. He said that around 35,000 banks had extended credit facility to the tune of Rs. 4,000 crores to around 10.8 lakh SHGs in the country.

In Karnataka, financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 300 crores had been extended to 1.03 lakh SHGs.

In Bellary district, 68,000 SHGs were availing Rs. 28 crore credit facility, while only 102 SHGs received financial assistance when the groups were formed in 2000.

Mr. Rao said that it was proposed to extend assistance to the tune of Rs. 18 crores to 10,000 women from SHGs for taking up animal husbandry. It was also proposed to establish a marketing centre at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.5 crores to enable the SHGs to market their produce.

R. Lakshminarayan, Manager, ADB, said that of the 200 SHGs that had enrolled with the bank, 93 were provided credit linkage to the tune of Rs.1.15 crores. Forty-nine women from nine SHGs were given financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 24.50 lakhs for construction of houses and 47 members received Rs. 57.50 lakhs for taking up various economic activities.

J.J. Belagatti, Chief Manager, SBI, Bellary, welcomed the gathering. Swaroopkumar, Deputy Manger, proposed a vote of thanks.

"Puttakkana kathe," skit written and directed by K. Jagadish, to create awareness about the rural housing scheme, was performed.

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