The Hindu Business Line : Bank of India scheme for farm women

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Bank of India scheme for farm women

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Tuber Institute to be technology partner in credit scheme

Kochi , Aug. 29

The Bank of India, Kerala Zone, has launched a project `Reaching to Empower' in the State in collaboration with the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, aimed at socio-economic development of rural communities through credit-linked technological interventions.

The project, which is launched as part of the centenary celebrations of the bank, is to be implemented among the farm women through self-help groups located at Uchhakada village in Neyyatinkara taluk with the local logistic support extended by the Neyyatinkara Integrated Development Society.

Speaking at a function as part of the centenary celebrations, Mr K.R. Kamath, Executive Director of the Bank, said that improving the cassava productivity in the project area and establishing of small cottage industries to produce value added products from cassava are contemplated under this joint venture.

The bank, he said, has adopted 101 villages during the centenary year for the integrated development in the country. Of these, two villages are from Kerala. Mannur in Ernakulam district and Marottichal in Thrissur district are these villages, which will be getting focussed attention for their all round development and progress.

The bank with 73 branches is actively participating in the State's development programmes. It has a total business of Rs 1,837 crore and the CD ratio as on March 31 was 97 per cent as against the State average of 66 per cent.

Mr Kamath said that the priority sector advances in the State are at 51.52 per cent against the stipulated level of 40 per cent. The market share of the bank in the State has been steadily increasing from 1.15 per cent in 2003-04 to 1.29 per cent in 2005-06.

During 2005-06, the Kerala zone registered a credit growth of 40 per cent. The retail credit grew by 73 per cent and priority sector by 56 per cent.

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