Little Financial Support For Men's CIGs
Around 150 men’s groups were formed with a total membership of approximately 750 people in Kurnool city
By : P.V. Prasad
Update: 2025-06-27 06:24 GMT
Kurnool: Men’s Common Interest Groups (CIGs) in Kurnool are struggling for survival failing to replicate the success of women's thrift groups. These urban male groups -- created to promote savings and self-reliance among low-income and marginalised communities -- are not receiving adequate backing from financial institutions.
In Kurnool city, around 150 men’s groups were formed with a total membership of approximately 750 people. These groups are primarily composed of daily wagers, technicians, sanitation staff, and others in the informal sector.
The state government’s objective was to promote financial independence and savings among marginalised men through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), implemented under the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA). Unlike women’s self-help groups, which typically have 10–15 members, these CIGs are smaller.
Each group must be formally registered with the help of an MEPMA-appointed resource person. The group leader is required to deposit `500, while each member saves `100 per month for six months. After an internal review, the group becomes eligible for `50,000 loans, with the potential for increased credit based on repayment history.
MEPMA officials conducted awareness sessions from November to mid-February to encourage participation, aiming to form 300 groups across both districts. However, uptake has been slow.
Officials have submitted loan proposals and group details to banks and are hopeful that the loans will be sanctioned soon. “We were told that the loans would come. We believed it. But now it’s been months and nothing,” said a member of one such group in Kurnool, who works in sanitation.