Nabard offers aid to self-help groups

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) executive director Amaresh Kumar, while speaking at an award ceremony on rural financing in Ahmedabad on Saturday, assured all assistance to the state government and various banks in rural financing, particularly to self help groups (SHGs).

The Gujarat state office of Nabard gave away awards to banks, self help groups and non-government organisations for the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme 2003-04.

While giving away the prizes in various categories, chief minister Narendra Modi said the scope of SHGs can be increased in a big way, especially for rural women.

He said rural women could take up cleaning of markets, other public places and the like with the help of rural financing schemes. Citing another example, Modi said while the government installs hand pumps in villages, SHGs could maintain them.

He added that the repair costs are often not large, and SHGs could easily maintain these. Nabard Gujarat chief general manager Bawar Puri said the SGH-Bank Linkage programme has been successful in the state so far, more and more corporates need to come forward, even as the Central government has set ambitious targets for rural financing.

In the commercial bank category, Bank of Baroda received the first prize for funding self help groups, while in the regional rural bank category, the Panchmahal Vadodara Gramin Bank received the first prize.

In the district central co-operative bank (DCCB) category, the Bharuch District Central Co-operative Bank was adjudged best in funding SHGs.

In the individual branch category, the Devgarh branch of Union Bank of India was adjudged best in the commercial bank category, the Netrang branch of Surat Bharuch Gramin Bank was adjudged best in the RRB category and the Hansot branch of Bharuch DCCB was adjudged best in the DCCB category.

Gandhi Jan Kalyan Trust, Chanasama, was adjudged the best non-government organisation working in the field of SHG financing while in the farmer's club category, the Progressive Farmers' Club of Itakala in Bharuch, with the help of Surat Bharuch Gramin Bank, was adjudged the best.