Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (DV)

Mangalore, Jul 28: “Undivided Dakshina Kannada’s co-operative banks are role model to all of us. Without political interference banks can successfully carry out their activities. Of the 400 points the government mentioned in its manifesto, a hundred have already been implemented. The government has released Rs 706 crore to waive farmers loans up to Rs 25,000,"  said H S Mahadeva Prasad, minister for co-operative department excluding agriculture marketing, after receiving flood relief fund for the Prime Minister’s national relief fund from various co-operative banks and associations at TV Raman Pai Convention Hall on Saturday July 27.

In August, it will release another Rs 1300 crore. It has also been demanded that the government reduce the loan interest of 4 percent to 2 percent for self-help groups and try to provide loan with zero percent interest up to Rs 2 lac. The ‘Yashaswini’ health programme will be started very soon,”,

He was speaking at a programme held to offer flood relief funds for Uttarkhand Disaster victims and scholarships for economical poor children of self-help group members organized by the South Canara District Central Co-operative Bank Limited and co-operative institutions of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

After distributing the scholarships, Ramanath Rai, state minister for forest, ecology, and environment, said that co-operative banks had made a drastic revolution in the undivided district. “The co-operative banks really became very useful in rural areas. Though there are several private and nationalized banks their mentality has remained the same. Hence, the people felt co-operative banks are their banks and relied more on it,” he said.

Presiding over the event, Dr M N Rajendra Kumar, president of SCDCC Bank, said co-operative banks with their social responsibility have during the time of tsunami, Kutch flood, and Kargil offered relief funds.  “Though there is a bit of political interference, for the purpose of development, co-operative banks come out from political limits and toil for the welfare of the people. As mentioned in the manifesto, the government should also provide loan at 2 percent interest to self-help groups. The compulsory attendance should be freed during the time of the grand meeting (Maha Sabe). SCDCC Bank is increasing its branches in the next one year with the mission to open 42 branches. For the Uttarkhand flood relief to Prime Minister’s national relief fund, co-operative associations have gathered Rs 77 lac within a short period of time and this will be increased to Rs 1 crore,” he added.

On this occasion, Rs 77 lac was handed over to Prasad and Dr Kumar personally offered Rs 1,20,000 to the flood relief.

Scholarship was given to a thousand students on this occasion.

MLA J R Lobo, Mohiuddin Bava, Rohan Monteiro, Amarnath Shetty, Vinay Kumar Sorinje, Gopal Krishna Bhat, J R Vijay Kumar, and R J Kantharaj were present on the stage.