Bangla is number one in the country in financing self-help groups (SHG) in the cooperative sector, said the State Cooperation Minister recently at the first conference of the West Bengal Co-operative Bank Employees’ Sangha in Kolkata.
The minister said that the government is very happy in being able to empower the rural populace, especially women (since they make up the composition of most of the SHGs) across the State.
He said that in financial year 2018-19, the State provided credit to 97,000 SHGs, far ahead of the number two State. Currently there are 2.2 lakh SHGs which are beneficiaries of loans provided by cooperative banks.
At an earlier government function in August, the minister had said that the State Government would be distributing a total loan amount of Rs 180 crore to about one lakh women from rural self-help groups (SHG) so that they can rear goats, cows and hens for poultry products.
Sources: The Statesman