The Hindu : Karnataka News : All-out effort to instil hope in farmers

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Friday, Nov 30, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

All-out effort to instil hope in farmers

Muralidhara Khajane

Cauvery Kalpataru Grameena Bank is working to contain suicide among them

Farmers’ Clubs a tool for rural development
The concept is being promoted by NABARD

MYSORE: Cauvery Kalpataru Grameena Bank, which has 203 branches spread across the six districts of Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Tumkur, Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural, is making efforts to contain the phenomenon of suicide among farmers by setting up farmers’ clubs.

The bank, with its basic principles of development through credit, transfer of technology and capacity and skill development in rural areas, has formed 305 farmers’ clubs in the six districts in the last three years with the support of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

The bank is now using these clubs to instil confidence in farmers who have taken loans.

There are 20 members, including eight women, representing a village each in the club. There is chief volunteer and another who assists him in running the club. They are given Rs. 5,000 initially and another Rs. 3000 for annual maintenance.

They are also given Rs. 1,250 for every programme they conduct. While the bank shares 25 per cent of this cost, NABARD releases the balance.

The members meet every month and discuss issues pertaining to the development of the village. The members are trained at orientation programmes. These clubs are working as self-help groups, the credit wing chief of the bank, K.B. Mahadevappa, says.

Despite the Union and State Governments taking various steps to contain the phenomenon, there has been little improvement in the situation. In view of this, members of these clubs have been trained to instil confidence among farmers.

“We train our members to bring debt-ridden farmers to the bank so that we can discuss their problems and help them by reducing the rate of interest and principal amount, subject to banking norms and the Reserve Bank of India guidelines,” he said.

The bank recently conducted a convention in Mysore of chief volunteers of the clubs of Mysore, Tumkur and Chamarajanagar and discussed the issue.

The volunteers were shown how they can address the problem. They were trained in ensuring agricultural development by helping farmers utilise available resources. A similar convention will be held in Hassan shortly, he said.

The bank is in the process of converting a few villages into “Kisan Credit Card Villages” wherein farmers can avail themselves of credit up to Rs. 3 lakh at 7 per cent interest rate. At the same time, the bank is also creating “Moneylenders Free Village” by providing loans. “We have covered seven villages under this and are planning to include another 164 soon,” he said.

“The club is a concept promoted by NABARD for creating a client base for the bank. The aim is to use villagers as business facilitators and employ them in collecting revenue records and other such development activities. Besides meeting the NABARD requirement, the clubs are now being used as a tool to rural development and containing suicide of farmers,” he said.

Asked about the success rate of the clubs in containing suicide of farmers, he said it is difficult to quantify. However, the fact that the clubs have succeeded in instilling confidence among farmers cannot be denied.

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