Bank Sakhi

Experience of the states which have achieved significant progress in SHG-Bank Linkage reveals that use of community level resource persons or Bank Sakhis has been extremely useful. The criteria for selection of Bank Sakhis and the potential functional responsibilities that they can play in promoting bank linkage are outlined below:

Who can be a Bank Sakhi

• A woman SHG member for at least 12 months;
• Preferably in the age group of 22-45 years;
• Preferably a literate person with a Minimum 10th/8th standard pass(Good in writing and reading skills;
• Representative of the community but not the bank.

Who Should Select Bank Sakhi?

Bank Sakhi should be selected by VO. In case VO is not formed, she should be selected by an informal committee with representatives drawn from different SHGs.

Responsibilities of a Bank Sakhi

The key responsibilities of Bank Sakhi are as follows:

Whenever leaders of SHGs/ members of SHG visit the bank to deposit/ withdraw money, the bank Sakhi should help the SHGs in:

• Filling transaction slips/ bank challans; and
• In accounting of cash – segregation by denomination

Whenever leaders of SHGs/ members of SHG visit the bank for linkage, the Bank Sakhi should help the SHGs in:

• Completing documentation formalities for account opening and filling in loan application;
• Opening of individual accounts of the members in the bank; and
• Assisting SHGs in seeking other financial services from the bank.
• Aadhar seeding
• Mobile seeding

As a trainer, Bank Sakhi should:

• Spread awareness among SHGs on credit linkage, terms and conditions of loans including interest rate and repayment schedule and interest subsidy; and
• Educate the group members on bank procedures, other schemes and programmes involving the bank.
• Insurance
• Pension
• Remittances

Bank Sakhi should also help the bank linkage sub-committee in the following:

• Maintenance of SHG bank linkage details;
• Assisting VOs in monitoring SHG repayment to banks; and
• Collection of over-due statements from banks.

Payment of Honorarium to Bank Sakhi

Bank Sakhi is a resource person working for the Community Institutions (VO or CLF). As such, payment of honorarium should be made to Bank Sakhis by the CBOs receiving their services and not by the Mission units. It should be ensured that all Bank Sakhis are paid honorarium for the number of days that they work. However, as the CBOs may not have adequate surpluses in the initial period, the SRLM may provide some funding support to the CBOs such that they pay some honorarium to the Bank Sakhis. But such contribution should be routed through CBOs and not directly paid to individual Bank Sakhis

Bank Sakhi may be paid from the earning of the community institutions from the following sources:

• Interest earning
• Earning from service cost charged for bank linkage
• Support from the project (for limited period)
• Payment by banks

Source : National Rural Livelihoods Mission