Impact of Self Help Groups on Economic Condition of Tribal People in Kovilur Panchayat, Thiruvannamalai District of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

India’s Self Help Group (SHG) movement has emerged as the world’s largest and most successful network of community based organizations (CBOs). It is predominantly a women’s movement. As some experts have pointed out, it is a development innovation in its own right. The SHG bank linkage program (SBLP), which is the India’s own innovation has proved to be one of the most effective poverty alleviation and women empowerment programs. The SBLP had a modest beginning with 255 credit linked groups and loan amount of Rs.29 lakh in 1992-93. Since then the program has grown exponentially. In the process, SHGs emerged as a mass movement across the country and largest community based microfinance model in the world. As per NABARD’s microfinance report by March 2012, 79.6 lakh SHGs, with an estimated membership of 9.7 crores,
have savings accounts in the banks, with aggregate bank balance of Rs. 6,551 crores. Over 43.54 lakh SHGs have loan accounts with total loan outstanding of Rs. 36,340 crores. However, there remain regional disparities in the growth of the SHG movement with limited progress in eastern and western regions.