The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Apr 15: The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh – national credit fund for women – under the ministry of women and child development, government of India, is presently giving hassle free loans to around 2700 women beneficiaries in Manipur.

Established in 1993 under the WCD ministry, RKM was set up as the first and only apex government micro-finance organisation. It extend micro-finance services in the form of client friendly, collateral and hassle free loans through a state-level nodal agency for livelihood activities, housing, micro-enterprises, family needs, etc of women.

The nodal agency for RKM in Manipur, All Backward Classes and Economic Development Organisation (ABCEDO), Thoubal, is presently functioning as the credit linkage with new and potential NGOs. In a press conference held today at the State Guest house, Kh Tompok, nodal officer RMK, Manipur, highlighted the various soft loan schemes of RMK.

Citing 10 such schemes, Tompok said that NGO, VO, WDC, COS, Indira Mahila Block Samiti, suitable state government agencies, refinance to mahila, urban cooperative banks, VA, etc, fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid down by RKM, can avail the loan facilities up to Rs 2 crores without any security.

Tompok also conveyed that since the schemes of RKM were launched with a view to remove the regional disparities, some special package is designed for North East where there is poor banking network and lack of basic infrastructure. He said that RKM has formulated a client friendly and hassle free credit package for the voluntary organisation of the North-Eastern region for easy access of credit from RKM to meet the credit needs of the poor women of the region. The relaxations apply to period of registration, margin of loan, grace period of repayment, etc.

The NGOs which take loan from RKM can be run by either men or women but the beneficiaries have to be women. As told by Tompok, ABCEDO has been applying for loan from RKM since 2000 but received the first loan in 2004. He said that 31 NGOs were approved and their applications were sent to Delhi. Out of this, he said 6 NGOs were sanctioned loan and the pre-sanction study for 12 NGOs is over and the pre-sanction for the rest will be completed by April end.

 

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