Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Finance

08-August-2012 18:21 IST

NABARD Scheme for Promoting Self Help Groups

            National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has reported that it provides grant support to Non Government Organizations (NGO), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), Farmers, Clubs, Individual Rural Volunteers (IRVs) for promoting Self Help Groups (SHGs).  The quantum of grant assistance being provided to these agencies is as under:

            Besides, NABARD also provides grant assistance for training, capacity building, skill upgradation, exposure visits etc. of the SHG members and other stake holders.

            Further, a scheme for promotion and financing of Women Self Help Groups (WSHG) is being implemented by NABARD across 150 backward and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts of the country.  The scheme aims at saturating the districts with viable and self sustainable WSHGs by involving anchor NGOs/support agencies who shall promote and facilitate credit linkage of these groups with banks, provide continuous handholding support, enable their journey for livelihoods and also responsibility for loan repayments.

            NABARD has reported that a sizeable portion (83%) of the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme covers SC/ST and other backward clients.  However, NABARD does not have any separate scheme for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes. 

             This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri   Namo Narain Meena, in written reply to a question in Lok  Sabha today.

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