SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

288
The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy
International Conference
Literacy Level of Members and Maintenance of
Records.
The groups maintain about eight to thirteen separate records. Leaders/
members of Executive Council are trained in book – keeping. The quality of the
records of 18 groups under study has been classified based on three parameters.
1. Maintenance of most basic records – attendance registers, savings and loan
registers, minutes of meeting, general ledger, individual passbook, cash
book, cash receipt, records on village resource mobilization etc.
2. Member satisfaction and confidence in the authenticity of accounts
maintained by the group.
3. Accounts written by the members themselves/ or engagement of outsiders
for monthly payment.
4. Prompt and regular updating of entries.
Based on these parameters, it is found that record maintenance is good in all
the groups without exception. There is also transparency in maintenance of records.
In the case of 1/3 of the groups under study, members themselves maintain and
update the records. In the rest, an accountant is appointed on monthly honorarium.
Attendance of Meeting
Date, time and place for all kinds of meetings of SHGs are pre – determined.
During the initial stages of formation of SHGs the NGOs themselves conducted the
meetings on behalf of the SHGs. When the groups become matured enough to
conduct the meetings, the promoting agencies gradually withdrew and just observed
the proceedings. Two types of meetings are generally conducted by each SHG –
meeting for money transaction and monthly meeting to discuss common issues
pertaining to group. Participation of members in meetings is made compulsory. If a
member does not attend the meeting despite being intimated, the member will be
fined. The amount of fine varies from group to group (from Rs.2 to 5). All the
groups record minutes of the meetings.