Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (AF)

Mangalore, Apr 3: The silver jubilee celebrations of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) will be held on Saturday April 14 at Dharmasthala, said SKDRDP executive director Dr L H Manjunath while addressing a press meet here on Monday April 2.

The celebrations will be inaugurated by Vice-President of India Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. The silver jubilee will be marked by several programmes to be held in different places and will be organised on a monthly basis, he said.

Elaborating on the works undertaken by SKDRDP, he said that the organisation has been functioning in 559 gram panchayats promoting as many as 45,756 self-help groups consisting of 4,59,790 members.

He further said that the organisation has grown from strength to strength and is today the biggest NGO micro finance institutions in the country. It has a member saving of Rs 66.13 crore and a credit turnover of Rs 476.12 crore.

The organisation has also spread its activities to areas such de-addiction, education in villages, forming of milk societies, growing fodder, renovation of crematoriums, healthcare and insurance, he said.