Villagers attend the meeting of Nabard and SBI officials. Picture by Amit Kumar

Dhoraiya (Banka), May 26: Poverty makes chink of coins melodious to the ears of the poor. Now, State Bank of India (SBI), Bhagalpur module, and Nabard, Bhagalpur, have come together to add this music to the life of flute-makers based in the hinterland of Banka.

In a joint venture, the two banks have accelerated welfare projects for the flute makers. SBI has decided to cover the artisans under the Artisan Credit Card. Bageshwari Saran, assistant general manager, SBI, said the artisans would initially get a credit limit of Rs 10,000. He also assured the villagers that in the event of the individual artisans transacting to the tune of Rs 1 lakh, the bank would enhance the credit limit suitably.

Located some 40km from Bhagalpur, Makaita Babura panchayat under Dhoraiya block is known for its huge paddy production as well as its flute artisans who have been in the profession for generations. Villages like Aassi, Biharpur, Makaita, falling under the panchayat, were earlier covered under Nabard’s special project — farmers technology transfer form (FTTF) — aiming to improve paddy cultivation through system of rice intensification (Sri).

According to Sambhu Kumar Singh, coordinator of Sant Ravidas Kalyan Samiti, the Sri project’s implementing agency recently conducted a survey in the villages and found about 200 families engaged in making various types of flutes.

The report said that during a period of one year, about 3 lakh flutes of various sizes and types were manufactured and sold at an average cost of Rs 3 to 4 per piece.

“The artisans rued the lack of credit support from formal financial institutions for their profession and we accepted the challenge as our mission,” said Nabin Kumar Roy, district development manager, Nabard, Bhagalpur. According to Roy, a meeting was organised on May 23 at Biharpur. Bageshwari Saran, Neeraj Thakur, senior manager, SBI regional office, Rajesh Jha branch manager, SBI, Batsar (the designated branch for the panchayat) and Shiv Shankar Mishra, business facilitator, SBI, along with local representatives of the panchayat and some flute-makers participated in the meeting.

A frail-looking Babulal, the first flute-maker from Biharpur, said this profession has been followed by generations, and despite the monopoly of cheap plastic toys (mostly Chinese products), there is ample scope for good sales of flutes.

According to Babulal, earlier, the artisans used to fetch a special kind of bamboo from Assam and Tripura, but now they rarely make bamboo flutes. Though the flutes made from bamboo fetch better prices (Rs 40 to 50 per piece), penury forces villagers to use wild shrubs growing in the Kosi and Ganga diaras, known as narkat.

The villagers go to fairs as far as Chhattishgarh, Orissa, Jhakhand on the occasion of Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Maghi Poornima for selling their products. Most male members stay away from home for at least 200 days a year.

Roy hoped the step would help Makaita and Biharpur’s flute-makers earn good profit and overcome their poverty.