Mangalore, May 27: A total of 1.81 lakh families in Dakshina Kannada have saved Rs. 16.43 crore in 2011-12 through self-help groups, which now number over 18,000, under Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP).
Disclosing this at a press meet here, SKDRDP director for Mangalore T. Sampath Kumar said members of the self-help groups showed a turnover of Rs. 278.39 crore in the financial year, mostly for development activities that improved their lives.
“Everywhere we hear about loan waiver, but here we have 100 per cent recovery,” he added.
An important aspect of the project was collection of money from beneficiaries through Suvidha, a facility where members could make payments between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., and thereafter wherever required. With this, people made payment early in the day and proceeded for work. There were 558 people, 60 per cent of them women, manning the project, he said.
Mr. Kumar said nearly 16,000 people had been trained in agriculture-related aspects through 342 programmes, and claimed that youngsters were coming back to agriculture. The project provided pension or supported families that could not earn a living. In 2011-12, 403 families received an assistance of Rs. 21.42 lakh. As many as 401 families got organic gas units and solar lamps at a cost of Rs. 8.02 lakh.
The project covered 4 lakh members of 1.04 lakh families under the health insurance scheme. In the year, they received Rs. 8.51 crore for treatment of various diseases.
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