Kohima: The Bank Sakhis (SHGs women working as business correspondents for banks) in Nagaland, nurtured by Nagaland State Rural livelihoods Mission (NSRLM), have committed themselves to render better service to the women SHG community with the available support and cooperation of bank branch officials.
The Bank Sakhis have re-committed to dedicate their service towards achieving nil non-performing asset (NPA), facilitating savings bank account opening to all SHG members, universalisation of insurance enrolment and enhancement in credit linkage through offline and online applications.
These were the outcomes of the two-day refresher training of Bank Sakhis held in Kohima on Thursday and March 29, stated an update from NSRLM.
State Programme Manager-Financial Inclusion (SPM-FI), NSRLM, Rajuselie Lhousa, the resource person of the training, spoke on savings bank account opening, facilitating credit linkage to 70% of SHGs, scaling up enterprise financing to individuals, universalisation in insurance schemes and also sensitised on the upcoming opportunity of applying loan through online known as ‘Jan Samarth.’
He said SHGs requiring finance from the banks should be made available to them. The Community-Based Repayment Mechanism (CBRM) meeting should be conducted monthly so that the agenda of scaling up credit linkage and regular repayment are monitored.
Lhousa sought the cooperation of Bank Sakhis to support the Financial Literacy Community Resource Persons (FLCRP) and Business Correspondent (BC) Sakhi who are taking forward the national programmes like ‘Financial Literacy Campaign’ and ‘Promotion of Digital Transaction at GP level Campaign.’
He also conveyed gratitude to the bank authorities for accepting SHG members and providing them space to sit in bank branches. He lauded the banks which have been recognising women SHG members engaged as Bank Sakhis in the country and awarding commission for their services.
Neisavino Mera, a Bank Sakhi at SBI Jakhama branch under Kohima district, spoke about her happiness being engaged as a Bank Sakhi for the last four years.
Mera said she makes herself available in the bank branch and on phone 24×7, having understood that she was so blessed by doing yeomen service to the rural community.
She shared how she addresses the new trainees whenever they come to her block for field visits. She also narrated her story of having got the opportunity to personally meet and interact with the President of India during the latter’s maiden visit to Kigwema village last year.
She said the women are comfortable and empowered day by day under the leadership of Imtimenla, Mission Director, for her committed service.
A Bank Sakhi is a women SHG member sitting in the bank branch to facilitate the required financial needs of women coming from villages like opening of savings bank account, facilitating deposit, withdrawal, transfer, insurance enrolment, loan process and monitoring loan repayment by SHGs etc.
This enables women to get their banking business settled within a short period and avoid standing in long queue while also reducing the work load of the bankers.
Altogether 116 Bank Sakhis (57 in SBI, 34 in NSCB, 10 in NRB, five in BoB, five in CBI, two in Canara and one each in BoI, IDBI and Indian Bank) are sitting in different bank branches covering all the district of Nagaland, it stated.
