GUWAHATI: Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) are very active and credit worthy in rural areas of Assam as it relies on social collateral rather than on financial collateral. SBI being a premier Bank in Assam has always been in the forefront in financing Self Help Groups to develop a self-sustained rural economy and also to empower the women beneficiaries. In order to accelerate SHG finance in the Bank in a mission mode and also to percolate the very essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhijan to the ground level, SBI launched a programme by the name Mahila Atmanirbharshil Aachani (MAA) (Women Self-Reliance programme) in Assam on September 18 by sanctioning 856 SHG credits.
The basic objective of the programme is to create a strong bonding with the SHG member besides extending credit linkages to the women SHGs nurtured and sponsored by NRLM, Assam for self-reliance and economic upliftment. Under scheme MAA on October 16, SBI branches of Assam sanctioned 1,209 SHGs sponsored by NRLM with financial outlay of Rs. 58 crore, stated a release.