15

Theme- Micro-Finance & Technology

used. We also tried to convince the

There would be a monthly

●

SHGs on the need to pay me for

meeting of PRADAN and the

providing these statements. The

Computer Munshi for joint

PRADAN  officers  had  repeated

monitoring

meetings with the SHGs and informed

Make a weekly calendar for

●

them that after six months they would

the entire operation right from

have to bear the entire cost of

RMTS-I submission to RMTS-II

operations, that is, the cost of data entry

reaching the SHG before its

for the groups by a local accountant,

next meeting

the fee for messengers carrying the

data sheets back and forth, and the fee

Maintaining records of RMTS-II

●

of the Computer Munshi for data entry

dispatched  and  money

and generation of financial statements.

received,

followed

by

payments to the peons and

I was also informed that from September

PRADAN

2004 onwards I would also receive no

Issuance and collection of

●

financial support from PRADAN for the

receipts for money collected

tasks I did for the SHGs. They would

from the SHGs

nevertheless continue to pay me for the

data that they purchased from me.

In October 2004 I decided to set up an

Avijit-da also told me that I would also

independent office at my residence

have to start repaying the computer

and shifted out of the PRADAN office. I

loan in monthly instalments of Rs 500. I

operate from here currently. Much of

decided to take up the challenge.

my revenue is from payment by SHGs.

I have also

cleared my loans

Currently I am providing RMTS II regularly

I decided that I would have to organise

for the STD and the

to 79 SHGs, with a total membership of

myself much more to be able to run my

photocopy

1,383 women. The cost economics

business properly. Avijit-da and I

machine.

works out like this:

decided upon certain action points:

Total members in 79 SHGs:

1,383

Collection from SHG for RMTS-II per month: 1383x2

Rs 2,766

From PRADAN per month: 79x15

Rs 1,185

Monthly payment to peons: 79x12

Rs 948

Cost of stationery

Rs 545

Electricity

Rs 150

Total Income

Rs 3,951

Total Expense

Rs2,143

Net Income per month

Rs 1,808

After setting up my independent office,

panchayat and other offices nearby.

I realised that a phone connection was

From this business I now earn about Rs

important to keep in touch with the

3,000 per month after paying for the

PRADAN office. Besides this I thought this

assistant who now helps me. I have also

could also be income-generating. So I

cleared my loans for the STD and the

immediately applied for and installed

photocopy machine.

an STD booth in my office. While doing

my SHG work I had seen that for

My future plan is to set up a studio so

photocopying various documents

that the SHG members can take photos

related to SHG account-opening, loan

for account opening. I am looking at

application etc, the groups had to go

creating a single-window service centre

to Balarampur, which is about 13 km

for SHG-related work. I am also teaching

from my house. So I took a loan and

my wife how to operate a computer so

installed a Xerox machine and also a

that she can run the Computer Munshi

scanner, seeing the potential of the

operations in the future. I also plan to

business from the nearby high school,

take an internet connection soon.

D. Narendranath

D. Narendranath works with PRADAN, New Delhi