Madurai, Nov 17: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) aims to form one million self-help groups (SHGs), comprising mostly women, over the next decade to benefit at least 20 million members through a micro-credit programme, its managing director YC Nanda has said.A high-powered task force would be set up to arrive at a broad conceptual policy framework for the growth of micro-finance in the country, he told mediapersons here yesterday.
Over 17,000 SHGs were linked with the banks in September and the credit and refinance rate stood at Rs 240 million. More than 3.25 lakh rural families had been covered under the programme and about 290 NGOs and 150 banks had taken part in it.
Pointing out the programme's success in Tamil Nadu, Nanda said Tamil Nadu was one of the leading states under the programme with about 1,500 SHGs linked with various banks. Besides, the state government had also launched a `mahalir thittam' (women's plan) programme on the lines of the SHGs, headded.
Earlier, the convention of the 'Kalnjiam movement', a SHG, adopted resolutions including the one urging Nabard to extend long term credit facilities to the groups, besides giving loan subsidies for housing, land development, community irrigation and horticulture.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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