Shillong: Women’s self-help group (SHG) membership in Meghalaya has surged from 40,000 members eight years ago to 5.8 lakh in the current time, with credit flows rising from under Rs 100 crore, CM Conrad Sangma informed the Assembly on Wednesday.
The number of SHGs in the state has grown from around 4,000-5,000 in 2018-19 to about 53,000 at present, covering nearly 90% of households and mobilising close to Rs 1,100 crore in credit, Sangma said during question hour. “A minimum of 10 to 15 women are required to form an SHG; there is no need to register,” he explained, adding that the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society facilitates bank linkages. SHG members can access loans without collateral at an interest rate of around 7%. Banks have disbursed about Rs 755 crore to SHGs so far, with over 40,888 groups regularly servicing repayments and nearly 95% of loans repaid on time.
