Rural livelihood mission extended to five more blocks in Tiruchi

The Tamil Nadu Rural Livelihood Mission (TNRLM) has been extended to five more panchayat unions in the district, according to Collector Jayashree Muralidharan.

Presiding over the inauguration of a nine-day credit link orientation programme for bankers organised by the Mahalir Thittam here on Thursday, she said the mission introduced in 2012-13 had so far covered nine panchayat unions such as Manachanallur, Thottiam, Marungapuri, Thathaiyangarpettai, Manaparai, Thuraiyur, Manikandam, Anthanallur, and Musiri.

As part of the scheme, 270 Village Poverty Reduction Committees (VPRCs) were formed.

Each VPRC would be given Rs. 10 lakh in phases. Initially, a grant of Rs. 5.29 crore had been extended to the VPRCs.

The fund would in turn be given as interest-free loan to the members.

Similarly, the mission had been extended to Uppilliapuram, Lalgudi, Vaiyampatti, Pullampadi, and Tiruverumbur unions this year. It had been decided to form 134 VPRCs in various villages. Efforts were under way to extend the government grant to the new VPRCs.

Stating that the implementation of TNRLM had been monitored by the State-, district-, and block-level forums, Ms. Muralidharan said cluster-level groups would monitor the activities of VPRCs for effective implementation. The mission had facilitated the SHGs to become independent instead of being dependant on NGOs.

It had been decided to extend loan to the tune of Rs. 148 crore to the self-help group (SHG) members in the district this year.

Since the SHGs were contributing to the nation building, bankers should give priority to them, and surpass the target.

Loan to the tune of Rs. 100 crore was extended to the SHGs in 2011-12 as against the target of Rs. 86 crore.

The bankers again exceeded the target in 2012-13. They extended Rs. 105 crore against the target of Rs. 86 crore.

Similarly, Rs. 151 crore was given as loan to SHGs in 2013-14 as against the target of Rs. 148 crore, Ms. Muralidharan added.

R. Gomagan, Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, said the mission aimed at helping BPL families come out of poverty through gainful employment, self-employment, and livelihood programmes.

Chief Regional Manager of Indian Overseas Bank Narashimhan, Lead Bank Manager Prabakar, and Assistant General Manager of NABARD Suresh Kumar took part.