A Correspondent
Hailakandi: 131 Self Help Groups (SHGs) got loan sanctioned letters at a District Level SHG Credit Disbursement Programme here on Friday. Inaugurating the programme at Rabindra Bhawan, MP, Kripanath Mallah exhorted upon the SHGs to properly utilize the loan amount for enhancing their income and thus become economically independent and vibrant. "I appeal to all the SHGs who have received loans to utilise the loan amount for setting up micro enterprises and to make multiple incomes and not to divert the same for other purposes," he said.
Mallah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal are aspiring to build 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Atmanirbhar Assam' and the SHGs must strive relentlessly forward to become 'Atmanirbhar' by increasing their earnings from the loan disbursed under the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission to make Hailakandi Atmanirbhar.
The MP suggested the SHGs to set up profitable micro enterprises like shital patti crafts, candle making, poultry, duckery and goatery farms with the loan amount.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner, Megh Nidhi Dahal urged the SHGs to make judicious use of the loan amount to increase their income as they have to make repayment with interest. "You have to convert your loan into profits to make repayments with interest on time. The loan you have received will remain a liability till you make repayments to the bank regularly," he quipped.
Dahal complimented the Assam Gramin Vikash Bank for sanctioning good number of loans to SHGs and asked the State Bank of India and other scheduled commercial banks to extend more and more loan facilities to SHGs as 'they are not NPAs and good in making loan repayments'.
The Deputy Commissioner asked officials of ASRLM to extend hand holding to the SHGs and to address any problem faced by them.
Chief Executive Officer, Hailakandi Zilla Parishad, Joydeep Shukla asked the SHGs to invest the loan amount in profitable ventures and to make timely repayments. He disclosed that over Rs.1.50 crore has been disbursed to SHGs in the past one month. He assured all help and support to the SHGs, especially women SHGs in the days ahead.
Chairman, Hailakandi Zilla Parishad, Farhana Khanam Choudhury also spoke on the occasion. Loan sanctioned letters were distributed to some SHGs by the dignitaries. A total of Rs.1.43 crore loan amount to 131 SHGs ranging from a minimum Rs.1 lakh to Rs.5 lakh was disbursed in the programme organised by the District Mission Management Unit, Hailakandi. Lead District Manager, bankers, representatives of MLAs, BDOs and other officials were present at the function. Later MP, Mallah, DC, Dahal, CEO, Zilla Parishad, Shukla and others went round the stalls put by SHGs.
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