Towards alternate banking solution

Additional Mission Director NSRLM and AGM SBI & Convenor SLBC along with Banks, CBCs, RSETI faculty and trainees at RSETI Peren.

NSRLM SHG members undertakes Business Correspondent Sakhi training

Kohima, January 21 (MExN): Towards alternate banking solution “to unbanked and under-banked blocks,” Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) is promoting Business Correspondent (BC) Sakhi from amongst its SHG members. 

The six-day training for the 30 selected women at Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) Peren, Jalukie commenced on January 20, stated a press release issued by Rajuselie Lhousa, Program Manager-FI, NSRLM. 

CI Meren, Addl. Mission Director, NSRLM & Nodal Officer, RSETI Peren in the inaugural function noted “out of 74 Rural Development Blocks in the State, 46 blocks have banks while 28 blocks are unbanked. There is substantial gap between the bank and the community. Even in banked blocks while only the nearby villages are accessible, majority of the far flung villages remain unreached. Also, the lack of access to government schemes stems out due to the community’s limited knowledge on banking and other financial services. The GoI is putting every effort to link Banks with all villages and ensure delivery of various banking services and financial productsat the doorstep.” 

He encouraged the 30 selected women SHG members from the 11 districts to dedicatedly take up the course ‘inclusive banking through business correspondents’ in the six-days training. He informed that the trainees will appear Indian Institute on Banking and Finance (IIBF) examination for certification.

M Rollan Lotha, Chief Operating Officer (Programs), NSRLM in his speech, stated communitization as key to engage the community effectively towards access to various government rights, entitlements services and innovations. With a target to deliver banking and other financial products & services at the doorstep, the GoI is ensuring “Mission One GP One BC Sakhi” where Women SHG members are empowered to take up the role of BC/CSP. The trained BC Sakhi will work on DigiPay through the CSC. This BC model fosters two fold achievement— access to financial products and services at the doorstep for the community and entrepreneurship to the women. He underscored the imperativeness of the Banks, the CSC and the Corporate BCs in working together to achieve this noble initiative. 

SHG members from different districts also sharedtheir journey as an empowered member of the community through their community institutions under NRLM.

Other speakers were Azenuo Pienyü, Project Director (PD), DRDA Peren& District Mission Manager (DMM), NSRLM; H. Biswas, Assistant General Manager (AGM), DFIBT, NABARD; Paogin Haokip, AGM RBO &Convenor SLBC; BalramJaisy, Manager, NStCB HO Dimapur; Bidyut K. Basu, National Resource Person (NRP), MoRD; Lanusosang Jamir, State Project Manager SPM CSC; Mahibul Islam, Assistant Manager (AM) Sanjeevani Vikas Foundation (SVF); Maolemba, Field Supervisor (FS) Drishtee Development Communications (DDC and Uttam Das, Director, RSETI Peren. The program was chaired by Rajuselie Lhousa, Program Manager, NSRLM.