Fisherwomen get subsidised loans through JLGs

Mangalore, March 29: Corporation Bank, in association with Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Co-operative Fish Marketing Federation Ltd., launched a subsidised loan scheme for fisherwomen through joint liability groups (JLGs) in the city on Wednesday.

The bank has identified 72 groups consisting of 700 fisherwomen in Mangalore through the federation and about Rs. 3.50 crore credit will be extended to them through 11 branches of the bank in Mangalore.

Each Joint Liability Group would have a minimum of four and a maximum of 10 members and each member would be eligible for a maximum loan of Rs. 50,000 repayable in 35 months.

Ajai Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director, Corporation Bank, presided over the function. He said the fisherwomen would pay an interest rate of 3 per cent. The balance of the 12.65 per cent rate of interest would be subsidised by the State Government.

“People (who are taking loans from the bank) are repaying the loans,” Mr Kumar said. The bank provides credit linkages to 1,24,000 self-help groups (SHGs) with an amount of Rs. 1,000 crore, he said. Representatives of Sri Raksha Swasahaya Sangha, Mangalore, were given a cheque of Rs. 5 lakh. The other SHGS that received cheques for loans included Sri Vinayaka Swasahaya Sangha, Bokkapatna, Mangalore; Sri Ganesha Swasahaya Sangha, Bokkapatna; Vaishnavi Swasahaya Sangha, Boloor; Spandana Swasahaya Sangha, and Durgambika Swasahaya Sangha from Thota Bengre.

Earlier, in association with the Federation, the bank had financed 223 JLGs, consisting of 2,000 fisherwomen and a loan of Rs. 9.73 crore had been extended through six branches in Udupi district.

B. Nagaraj Shetty, Chairman of the Coastal Development Authority, inaugurated the loan disbursing event.

Yashpal A. Suvarna, president, Fish Marketing Federation; Nitin Kumar, president, Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation Limited; Palangappa, Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Mangalore; Suresh Kumar, Joint Director (Fisheries), Mangalore,; and R.P. Arora, Deputy General Manager, Corporation Bank, were present.