Rural Banking and Poverty Alleviation: A Case Study of West Bengal

Inadequacy of the traditional banking system gave rise to the need of cooperative banks and regional rural banks combining resource and competence of the commercial banks with the rural orientation and democratic approach of the cooperative as well as low cost of establishment. After tracing the evolution of Regional Rural Banks of India the present work, based upon case studies of the RRBs, seeks to text how far the objectives of RRBs had been achieved. The study involved intensive field investigation into the working of Regional Rural Banks of West Bengal. The progress of each of the Gramin Banks in respect of items of capital, deposits, advances, income, expenditure, profit or loss, branch expansion, loaning operations and recovery performance was reviewed. The nature of mobilization of rural savings through Regional Rural Banks and the causes of their profits or losses were probed. The study, in short, attempts a critical evaluation of the structure and functioning or Regional Rural Banks of West Bengal.