BMBCS

Unique Feature of Bagnan-I Mahila Bikash Cooperative Credit Society Ltd.

  • One striking feature of BMBCS is its pure and unalloyed ‘Civil Society’ character. Apart from receiving some occasional grants from Government (building grant) and the UNICEF and CARE (for equpment etc.), the BMBCS has sedulously kept itself aloof from Government. In a true sense, it is an exclusively civil-society driven enterprise. 
  • The other unique feature is its all-women character. With the exception of one System Administrator, and two nos of caretaker, the entire organization is run by SHG women – women of considerable competence and showing exceptional camaraderie. 
  • The BMBCS is an amalgam of three activities: (a) economic (banking-related), (b) Supporting SHGs to manufacturing, production & sales and (c) social development including managing of SHGs and their social development activities in such fields as education, public health, family welfare, and environmental improvement. The way these three ‘wings’ of the BMBCS is coordinated and synchronized to produce harmonized action needs show-casing. 
  • Caste and Minority (Muslim) status does not seem to have any divisive effect on ‘work’ which is shouldered equally by everyone erasing all notions of social distinctions in the larger ‘Society’ . 
  • Managerially speaking, one unique feature of BMBCS is what can be termed, following management jargon, sound ‘environmental management’ of its total business. This particular aspect seems unique in the sense that the track record of BMBCS’s continued success reveals an unusually sound, albeit anonymous, managerial genius. In this respect, certain sterling features deserve special mention. i. ‘Politics’, which is a known spoilsport in West Bengal and which is difficult to avoid in this State in any sphere of life, does not seem to have any effect whatsoever on the running of the BMBCS. ii. BMBCS’s management has been extremely technology-savvy. The entire work process has been computerised. Field collections are also doing by the support of POS machine. 
  • To augment income, BMBCS is currently considering diversification of its activities including pisciculture through its own ponds or ponds taken on lease, and expanding further its production and sales activities. A diversified programme of hands-on trainings on specific demand-driven themes such as costume jewellery, tailoring, weaving etc. is being actively pursued. 
  • Increased attention on ‘production’ and ‘sales’ diversification is another aspect of BMBCS’s work being contemplated at this moment. For this purpose, BMBCS is exploring possibilities of ‘restructuring’ of the organization within the cooperative framework. 
  • BMBCS is also expanding its ‘welfare’ activities by allocating more ear-marked funds for such activities as more skill-based training, children’s education especially in poorer areas of the Block, and setting up of agro-labs for the spread of organic agricultural production. More than 21000 women are involving in that organic nutrition garden program. 
  • In health sector BMBCS is also doing some great job for their member. They are organizing Cancer detecting camp by the support of Chittaranjan National Cancer Research Centre. Doing Blood donation camp to supplying blood to the rural poor thalassemia patient. 
  • In Environment Sector 1st the BMBCS supplying more than 1 lakh trees to their members for plantation according to the members demand. Aware the rural household to using solar light system. A solar unit is also running by the support of the cooperative. Society is also providing the smokeless Chula to the rural poor household. 
  • After COVID the economy of Rural Bengal is extremely in trouble. Some of our member upgrade their skills independently and starting some new intervention by using their own deposit and credit from our co-operative. Now we have generated Livelihood fund (10% of our profit) for our members livelihood generation purpose. We have a plan to generate some producer groups and trend them to upgrade their skills. From our Consumer Co-operative “APNA BAZAR” we are sailing their products to our 35000 members under Bagnan-I block