NABARD holds training for self-help groups

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 21

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised a one-day training programme for self-help groups (SHG) at Samba.

The programme was attended by self-help group leaders promoted by Kristu Jyoti Social Welfare Society under assistance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

The programme was inaugurated by Surinder Singh, District Development Manager of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. Singh highlighted the concept of self-help group and discussed that although the banking network in rural and semi-urban areas had increased manifold after nationalisation, even then many of the rural households were still dependent on moneylenders, shopkeepers and market vendors for their petty credit needs.

”The needs of these rural poor are small but often arise at unpredictable times and are usually of a marginal nature. Against this background, an alternate mechanism for meeting the credit needs of the rural poor in the form of self help groups has been evolved,” he said.

He said that National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development provided capacity-building assistance and financial support to non-governmental organisations/ banks for promotion and broad-basing of microfinance operations.