Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 28: NABARD organized one-day workshop with the stakeholders for up scaling Self Help Groups (SHGs)-Bank linkage programme in the State.
The workshop was aimed at sensitizing the stakeholders to enlarge their role space in SHG-Bank linkage programme and prepare a road map for up scaling the programme.
The workshop was attended by officials from Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, GiZ, New Delhi, Banks, NGOs, Government officials and experts connected with the SHG-Bank linkage programme in the country.
The workshop was inaugurated by Mushtaq Ahmed, Chairman, J&K Bank Limited, who while speaking said that SHGs not only help the women in financial inclusion but help them in economic and social empowerment.
He said that J&K Bank is making every effort in financial inclusion and also providing banking services to the rural hinterland.
Dr BG Mukhopadhyay, Chief General Manager, NABARD said that SHGs programme is one of the tools for financial inclusion for bringing financially excluded women under the banking fold through SHG approach. So far, under this progamme, over 95 million poor rural households have been covered under SHG-Bank linkage programme in the country.
The programme which started with 500 SHGs of rural poor two decades back, is now linked 7.3 million of SHGs (upto March 2013) with a loan outstanding of Rs 40,000 crore, he added.
The representative of the Reserve Bank of has indicated that the loan to women SHGs will be available at 7 per cent and difference in interest will be subverted to banks by Government of India.
Follow our WhatsApp channel