8

Sa-Dhan Patrika

Volume 6

Issue 2

The project is aimed at helping the

trained to negotiate traffic and follow

underprivileged become self-employed

municipality rules, harassment by law

bread earners for their families. This is done

enforcement agencies has reduced. With

by transferring the ownership of each

the increased incomes, the pullers have

rickshaw within a maximum period of 15

become interested in saving. Some of

months  of  a  puller's  joining  the

them have been able to repair their huts

programme. The insurance coverage

and provide educational facilities to

ensures the pullers an enabling arena,

their children by using their savings. The

which increases the security of the

wives of the pullers have come forward

profession and attractiveness of the

to  conceptualise  some  income

programme. Once the basic system is

generation activities.

established, it aims to inculcate habits

of reflexive saving and calculate

The Rickshaw Bank is not a formal bank.

borrowing among rickshaw pullers. It also

But it raises funds and provides rickshaws.

tries to relieve them from the arbitrary

The basic idea is to assemble rickshaws

power exercised by political and

and rent them to the pullers. Not only

municipal authorities.

this, the easy repayment instalments has

motivated pullers to own an asset. Affinity

In a short span of time, the Rickshaw Bank

groups of five persons form a group of

has already made a difference to 360

rickshaw pullers. The group identifies a

pullers' lives directly and around 1,800

common meeting place and every

people indirectly. Recently the Rickshaw

evening they meet at a convenient time

Bank also took the initiative to provide

and make repayments for their rickshaw.

LPG connections to the 50 families of

The repayment for a rickshaw is Rs 25 per

rickshaw pullers through the Indian Oil

day and starts from the first day. The cost

Corporation Ltd. (Assam Oil Division) on

of the rickshaw is Rs 9,000, which covers

a daily repayment basis to the Rickshaw

the cost and operative expenses of a

Bank. This has really enhanced the living

rickshaw along with its related expenses

standard of the targeted groups.

like insurance, license, uniform etc. Each

sponsor has its advertisement placed on

the back of the rickshaw. As the puller

The ultimate impact will be freeing the

repays the total cost of the rickshaw, he

indigent from the vicious cycle i.e., from

owns it as his asset. The repayment

years of hiring the rickshaw and

amount of one puller is further used to

transferring most of their daily earnings to

purchase a new rickshaw, and a new

a wealthy rickshaw merchant. Through

puller is accepted into the programme.

this, the rickshaw pullers are expected

In that way, the chain of sustainable

to not only improve their quality of life

development continues. Moreover, for

but also take up several income-

scaling up the project in a massive way,

generating activities based on their own

CRD has initiated a process to link up

need.

with various financial institutions.

TABULAR STATUS OF RICKSHAW BANK

Once the basic

system is

AS ON 31ST AUGUST 2005

established, it

aims to inculcate

Particulars

31 August, 2005

habits of reflexive

saving and

Rs.20/-

Rs.25/

Total

calculate

No. of borrowers (Rickshaw Puller)

159

206

365 ­2* =363

borrowing among

rickshaw pullers

No. of Groups

32

40

72

No. of garages

21

Total value of loans given (Rs.in lakh)

11.93

18.42

30.35

RECOVERY Average % RATES

92.0 %

* These 2 pullers now own their assets.

Dr. Pradip Sarmah

Pradip Sarmah promoted the Centre for Rural Development, based at Guwahati,

Assam and works in the region.

pradipsarmah@hotmail.com