A CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT: In a ceremonial function organized by NABARD Jorhat District office at the DC office on Friday, the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat, Roshni Aparanji Korati handed over the sanction letters for promotion of 1,000 Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) to Konoklota Mahila Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd Jorhat. The sanction letter was received by MD of KMUCB Ltd, Lakhimi Baruah, the founder of the first and only women's bank in Northeast India.
The grant assistance support for promotion and credit linkage of the JLGs was extended by NABARD for Rs 20 lakh under its Joint Liability Promoting Institution Programme. JLG scheme conceptualized by NABARD started in 2005 for providing micro-credit loans to farmers, especially small, marginal, tenant farmers, oral lessees, micro entrepreneurs, artisans in farm and non-farm sectors. It is implemented by banks as per guidelines issued by RBI.
The Jorhat Deputy Commissioner appreciated NABARD for extending support for women empowerment in the district through JLG programme which will help about 1,0000 women in all the six blocks of Jorhat and three blocks under Sivasagar district to have access to loans for various livelihood activities from KMUCB Ltd. She congratulated the MD KMUCB Ltd and her team for their efforts and assured all possible support from her office. She also advised DDM NABARD, K Vaiphei to support the district administration in identifying women and entrepreneurs engaged in food processing activities with annual turnover below Rs. 12 lakh for getting them officially registered under food safety guidelines.
Lakhimi Baruah, who founded the women's bank in 1998 in Jorhat with a seed capital of Rs. 8.45 lakh only, shared her experience and thank DC Aparanji Korati for her encouragement and assurance of support. She acknowledged NABARD's support for SHG and JLG promotion. KMUCB currently has more than 42,000 accounts with a deposit of Rs 8.82 crore.
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