| Micro Credit Schemes : Private money lenders charging exorbitant rates of interest were making the life of the villagers miserable by throwing them into life long debts and bonded labour, and making their debts manifold year by year. Banks were reluctant to give credit to the villagers who had very little real estate property to be pledged as security and almost no gold for such purposes. SSSPT successfully intervened by giving them an initial revolving fund which was the foundation of interest free Micro Credit Schemes(MCS) managed by Self Help Groups(SHG) pooling their small savings. |
| Market Regulation : The cocoon farmers of Dindigul district had no place within the district where they could market their produce and had to go all the way to Coimbatore over 120kms away. As the market at Coimbatore was prone to unexpected fluctuations in supply levels and resultant price levels, they were to bear the brunt of such vagaries. SSSPT intervened effectively by providing them a sustained place for collection close to their farming areas and succeeded in regulating the market on the price front also to the benefit of the farmers. |
| Water Management : The women folk of the village had to walk long distances to procure drinking water and the farmers had to look on their drying crops in helpless disappointment whenever the rains would be delayed. Water for drinking and irrigation was always in scarce supply. Rain water used to flow off sooner than it fell and leave the earth dry and unproductive. SSSPT intervened directly to provide 300 farmers with rain harvesting infrastructure. It also, in conjunction with the civil authorities, sunk nine bore-wells and provided these with overhead tanks from which water could be collected throughout the day. |
| Tsunami Relief : The phenomenal catastrophe that struck the Asian shores on 26th December 2004 caused unprecedented havoc all along the shores of Tamilnadu. SSPT rushed with emergency relief to one of the worst hit areas of Kanyakumari District. 255 families were given essential consumer items of daily use and Rs.2000/- each for purchase ofessential utensils. Plans are in the offing for giving each family a rehabilitation grant of Rs.15000/- each and provide necessary training in forming SHGs and self reliant means of livelihood. Fund for this large scale relief work is being awaited. |
| Economic Development Schemes : Certain economic development activities to benefit the people below poverty line (BPL) to uplift them from poverty to a self-reliant and self-confident life pattern are being implemented. A revolving fund of Rs.3000/- to each beneficiary, after six months of enrolment, is given by SSSPT. After six months of formation of SHGs and starting of Bank Accounts, Rs.60,000/- is given through Bank as loan with Rs.10,000/- subsidy from the Government to each SHG. An amount of Rs.2210,000/- to fifty SHGs as a revolving fund with Rs. 10,000/- subsidy to each SHG (i.e., Rs. 500,000/-) and an amount of Rs.40,000/- to three SHGs for economic development activities with Rs.20,000/- subsidy is given by the Government through the Union Bank of India, Dindigul Branch. |
| Besides these loans, an amount of Rs. 1247,500/- is availed of by individual beneficiaries for various income generation activities like goat rearing, cattle rearing, cloth shops, rice and grocery shops, cycle shops, flour mill, fancy store, fruits and vegetable vending, flower vending, etc., and the beneficiaries are involved in such activities as a step towards economic development and self-employment. Besides these, majority of the beneficiaries are doing agriculture and horticulture as farmers or farm-workers. The beneficiaries get an assured daily wage of Rs.80/- for hundred days under the “National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” of the Government of India, thereby earning Rs.8, 000/- per year. With all these schemes, each beneficiary is lifted above the poverty line. |
