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May
23, 2000
Kushtia,
May 22 (UNB) – As part of its commitment to help the poor,
Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) distributed loan amounting
to Tk 11 crore among landless people, particularly women, in its
Kushtia zone in last 11 months.
BRDB
started providing loan in July 1999 in the zone under a program to
rehabilitate distressed people through cooperatives, officials said.
There
are 1,040 cooperatives, including 461 male and 826 female ones, in the
zone comprising 12 thanas of Kushtia, Chuadanga and Meherpur. Some
11,986 men and 18,092 women are members of these cooperatives.
The
officials said the cooperative members have so far deposited Tk 44.90
lakh while their savings rose to Tk 62.46 lakh.
The
history of BRDB Kushtia zone dates back to 1973-74 fiscal year when it
was known as IRDP. It had disbursed Tk 59 crore till 1994 and realized
Tk 53.20 crore.
Of
the amount, Tk 2.23 crore was disbursed among the marginal farmers for
cultivation while Tk 6.15 crore for purchasing irrigation machinery
through Krishak Samoby Samity till 1990. The recovery rate of this
farm loan is 62 percent.
BRDB
also disbursed Tk 7.36 crore loan through women cooperatives and its
recovery rate was 78 percent.
As
per BRDB rules, those who have lands below 50 decimals and those who
are day-labourers are eligible to be member of its cooperatives, which
takes Tk 10 from every member a week as their savings.
BRDB
cooperatives also arrange training for the family members on cattle
rearing, sewing, vegetable cultivation and cottage industries, the
BRDB officials added.
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