Impact of Bank-SHG Linkage Programme in Empowering Rural Women in Nalbari District of Assam:A Case Study

In the context of planned economic development, eradication of poverty and unemployment draw a lot of attention and has emerged as a major area of concern on the part of the Government of India. Besides several antipoverty and employment generation programmes, the Government of India have made concerted efforts to provide the poor with access to credit. Microfinance has emerged so as to provide financial assistance including credit to the low-income households who have no sustainable access to the formal banking system, and their micro-enterprises to break out from poverty and unemployment. Microfinance through SHG methodology is routed through Self-Help Groups (SHGs). 

Like other parts of the country, in Assam also the programme of linking Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of the rural poor with the banking system was started in 1992. Over the years, a number of SHGs have been formed and linked to bank, of which majority were women's SHGs. In this context, the present study is an attempt to analyse the impact of Bank-SHG linkage programme in empowering rural women both economically and socially. Thematic concern of the paper will have its focus on a field study conducted in Nalbari district of Assam.