An unique bank run by children and for the children in Bihar allows poor children to save money and gives them soft loans to start small enterprises.
Ashna become a saviour of her family after her father suffered from spinal cord disease and his shop was on verge of closure after the children's bank, Bal Vikas Khajana, came to her help
The 16-year-old Ashna managed to get a soft loan of Rs 2,500 on her own credential and her father's shop is now up and running.
Ashna got the loan from the children's bank being run in Muzzafarpur district of Bihar.
"Our shop had shut down and I could do noting to save it. I decided to reopen the shop by taking a loan from Bal Vikas Khajana. My father can now make tazias," says Ashna.
Bal Vikas Khajana is a small cooperative bank, which is run by children for children.
The bank lends soft loans for starting small enterprise to child labourers, rag pickers or those working in factories
"We give loan and advance loan. We give two types of loans. One is for welfare and the other is for development," says Bal Vikas Khajana Branch Manager Mohammad Karim.
"Whatever money I earn a part of it goes to my mother and the rest is deposited in the bank," says rag picker Mushkan.
The smile and confidence on the faces of the children assures that the tribe of kid depositors would surely grow by leaps and bounds.link
Showing posts with label ATMs in Bihar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ATMs in Bihar. Show all posts
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Thursday 23 July 2009
Naked girls plow fields for rain
Farmers in Bihar have asked their unmarried daughters to plow parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said.
Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows.
"They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote Banke Bazaar town.
"This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."
India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states.link
Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows.
"They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote Banke Bazaar town.
"This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."
India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states.link
Sunday 14 June 2009
Rise in atrocities on women in Bihar
Notwithstanding the Bihar NDA government's initiatives towards women's empowerment, the year 2008 witnessed an increase in incidents of atrocities on women related to abduction, murder for dowry, molestation, eve-teasing and rape.
According to the figures compiled by the state police headquarters here, 6,186 cases of atrocities against women were registered across Bihar in 2008.
Out of these, 1041 incidents related to rape, 1494 kidnapping, 1233 murder for dowry, 2230 atrocities perpetrated for dowry, and 188 of eve-teasing and molestation.
A comparative study of the figures available suggested that there were rise in incidents in 2008 compared to the correponding period previous year.
While a total of 1012 cases were registered for kidnap of women in 2007, the number went up to 1494 in 2008.
Similarly, there was marginal increase in number of incidents related to dowry death from 1226 in 2007 to 1233 in 2008, the figures revealed.
In 2007, there were 1493 cases of atrocities perpetrated for dowry, but the figure rose to 2230 in 2008.
Cases relating to eve-teasing and molestation shot up to 188 during 2008, 20 more than those recorded between January and December the previous year.
There were 5017 incidents related to kidnapping of women in the past five years.
Out of these cases, 756 occurred in 2004, 756 in 2005, 662 in 2006, 1012 in 2007 and 1494 in 2008.
The NDA led by Nitish Kumar came to power in Bihar in November 2005 after the Rabri Devi regime.
After it stormed to power, the chief minister initiated a number of measures for ensuring women's empowerment, the first being reserving 50 per cent of the posts for them in the panchayati raj institutions and local bodies.
Though women were a benefitted because of this initiative, the rise in incidents of atrocities against them remained an area of concern for the state. link
According to the figures compiled by the state police headquarters here, 6,186 cases of atrocities against women were registered across Bihar in 2008.
Out of these, 1041 incidents related to rape, 1494 kidnapping, 1233 murder for dowry, 2230 atrocities perpetrated for dowry, and 188 of eve-teasing and molestation.
A comparative study of the figures available suggested that there were rise in incidents in 2008 compared to the correponding period previous year.
While a total of 1012 cases were registered for kidnap of women in 2007, the number went up to 1494 in 2008.
Similarly, there was marginal increase in number of incidents related to dowry death from 1226 in 2007 to 1233 in 2008, the figures revealed.
In 2007, there were 1493 cases of atrocities perpetrated for dowry, but the figure rose to 2230 in 2008.
Cases relating to eve-teasing and molestation shot up to 188 during 2008, 20 more than those recorded between January and December the previous year.
There were 5017 incidents related to kidnapping of women in the past five years.
Out of these cases, 756 occurred in 2004, 756 in 2005, 662 in 2006, 1012 in 2007 and 1494 in 2008.
The NDA led by Nitish Kumar came to power in Bihar in November 2005 after the Rabri Devi regime.
After it stormed to power, the chief minister initiated a number of measures for ensuring women's empowerment, the first being reserving 50 per cent of the posts for them in the panchayati raj institutions and local bodies.
Though women were a benefitted because of this initiative, the rise in incidents of atrocities against them remained an area of concern for the state. link
Friday 29 May 2009
Kosi shows signs of flooding, Bihar worried
The Kosi is in spate again. The water discharge has risen suddenly from 20,000 cusecs to 95,000 cusecs per day because of the pre-monsoon rains, bringing back memories of last year's floods. And to make matters worse, Maoists in Nepal are now hampering last-minute repair work at the Kusaha barrage.
State Minister for Water Resources, Bijendra Yadav says, "The point is that India does not have a good relationship with any of its neighbours including Nepal."
The breach that caused last years floods has now been plugged, but officials say there are more such vulnerable points in the barrage, which might give way once the water discharge reaches last year's levels.
Nepal official, Amar Karki says, "This is very dangerous and so the spur needs to be extended or repaired as soon as possible. And the embankment needs to be repaired urgently."
Since October last year, large scale repair and restoration work has been going on, but as the monsoon approaches, anxiety levels are rising.
A villager, Babu Ram says, "The river has started flooding again and we can see signs of danger."
Meanwhile, Bijendra Yadav says,"The elections came and our, engineers, executive engineers and even the superintending engineer were used as election officials. Because of this, we are two weeks behind schedule."
Once bitten twice shy - that's the story of people in Bihar, especially those residing in the Kosi region. The monsoon thunders have their hearts pounding and assurances from the government fail to bring relief to their mental anxiety.link
State Minister for Water Resources, Bijendra Yadav says, "The point is that India does not have a good relationship with any of its neighbours including Nepal."
The breach that caused last years floods has now been plugged, but officials say there are more such vulnerable points in the barrage, which might give way once the water discharge reaches last year's levels.
Nepal official, Amar Karki says, "This is very dangerous and so the spur needs to be extended or repaired as soon as possible. And the embankment needs to be repaired urgently."
Since October last year, large scale repair and restoration work has been going on, but as the monsoon approaches, anxiety levels are rising.
A villager, Babu Ram says, "The river has started flooding again and we can see signs of danger."
Meanwhile, Bijendra Yadav says,"The elections came and our, engineers, executive engineers and even the superintending engineer were used as election officials. Because of this, we are two weeks behind schedule."
Once bitten twice shy - that's the story of people in Bihar, especially those residing in the Kosi region. The monsoon thunders have their hearts pounding and assurances from the government fail to bring relief to their mental anxiety.link
SBI's emphasis in rural, to open 900 more ATMs in Bihar, Jharkhand
By opening 750 rural and semi-urban branches of the 1014 bank branches in Jharkhand-Bihar, the State bank of India has shown its special emphasis in rural areas of the two still economically backward states, SBI (central office) Deputy Managing Director A.Krishna Kumar said today.
While inaugurating the 1014th branch of the SBI in Bihar and Jharkhand at the Barhi Sub Divisional headquarters of the Hazaribagh District, about 40 Km from here, he said all these new branches have 100 per cent CBS system enabling customer to make transactions from any SBI branches across the country.
By June 30, SBI will open 900 more ATMs in Bihar and Jharkhand for providing better facilities for its customers particularly the rural account holders, he said.
He said the bank has given linkage to one million SHGs (Self Help Group) in the country for facilitating the rural women to earn their livelihood through these SHGs, now playing a significant role in the rural economy.
In Ranchi Circle consisting of South Chhotonagpur and North Chotonagpur Divisions, the bank have provided linkage to 660 SHG units, which provided all facilities to rural women to prepare products mostly through cottage industry.
He said that this year in Jharkhand,the SBI will adopt 27 villages under its 'Apna Gaon' scheme for all round development of the adopted villages.link
While inaugurating the 1014th branch of the SBI in Bihar and Jharkhand at the Barhi Sub Divisional headquarters of the Hazaribagh District, about 40 Km from here, he said all these new branches have 100 per cent CBS system enabling customer to make transactions from any SBI branches across the country.
By June 30, SBI will open 900 more ATMs in Bihar and Jharkhand for providing better facilities for its customers particularly the rural account holders, he said.
He said the bank has given linkage to one million SHGs (Self Help Group) in the country for facilitating the rural women to earn their livelihood through these SHGs, now playing a significant role in the rural economy.
In Ranchi Circle consisting of South Chhotonagpur and North Chotonagpur Divisions, the bank have provided linkage to 660 SHG units, which provided all facilities to rural women to prepare products mostly through cottage industry.
He said that this year in Jharkhand,the SBI will adopt 27 villages under its 'Apna Gaon' scheme for all round development of the adopted villages.link
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