Nepalgunj: Mid-Western Regional Rural Development Bank (RRDB) set up to provide banking services in the region’s rural parts invested Rs 2 billion loan in the last fiscal year. During the period, it recovered loan Rs.1.76 billion. It earned profit Rs 586,000, said

bank board member Sanjiv Neupane. The bank has been providing services in Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Surkhet,

Pyuthan and Jumla through its 23 branches. Besides, it provides collateral-free loans to women by forming separate women’’s groups.

Each group has five members and each member would get maximum loan up to Rs. 60,000 without collateral. Some 4,682 women of 22,416 households are associated with the groups. The women associated with the groups are involved in food production, irrigation, animal husbandry and cottage industries, said Guru Prasad Neupane, advisor to the bank.