BIHAR DEVELOPMENT TRUST

REDISCOVERING BIHAR

MEDIA COVERAGE:

AAJTAK STORY ON http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=e4lT8o_HNlw

INDIA TODAY STORY ON PAGE 70, EDITION OCT 27,

VISION

PURPOSE

CORE VALUES 

12.   Dairy

13.Carbon Trading

OUR CREDO

   WE BELIEVE THAT OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO OUR CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS/PRODUCERS WHO USE/PRODUCE OUR SERVICES AND PRODUCTS. WE MUST ALWAYS BE ACCESSIBLE TO EACH CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS/PRODUCERS BY HIGHEST DEGREE POSSIBLE. WE MUST CONSTANTLY STRIVE TO REDUCE THE COST OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.OUR ORDERS/REQUESTS MUST BE ACCURATELY AND PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO WITHOUT ANY DELAY. WE AND OUR PARTNERS MUST MAKE A FAIR PROFIT.

   OUR SECOND RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE LIVE. WE MUST BE A GOOD CITIZEN-SUPPORT GOOD WORK AND CHARITY, AND BEAR OUR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES. WE MUST MAINTAIN IN GOOD ORDER THE PROPERTY WE ARE PREVILAGED TO USE. WE MUST PARTICIPATE IN PROMOTION OF CIVIC IMPROVEMENT, HEALTH, EDUCATION AND GOOD GOVERNMENT, AND ACQUAINT THE COMMUNITY WITH OUR ACTIVITIES.

   OUR THIRD RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THOSE WHO WORK WITH US- THE MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR OFFICES AND OUTSIDE. THEY MUST HAVE A SENSE OF SECURITY IN THEIR JOBS. WAGES MUST BE FAIR AND ADEQUATE. MANAGEMENT JUST, HOURS REASONABLE AND WORKING CONDITIONS CLEAN AND ORDERLY. EMPLOYEES SHOULD HAVE AN ORGANISED SYSTEM FOR SUGGESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS. SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS MUST BE QUALIFIED AND FAIR MINDED. THERE MUST BE OPPURTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT – FOR THOSE QUALIFIED AND EACH PERSON MUST BE CONSIDERED AN INDIVIDUAL STANDING ON HIS OWN DIGNITY AND MERIT.

   OUR FOURTH RESPONSIBILITY IS TO OUR MANAGEMENT. OUR EXECUTIVES MUST BE PERSONS OF TALENT, EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY. THEY MUST BE PERSONS OF COMMON SENSE AND FULL UNDERSTANDING.

   OUR FIFTH AND LAST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO OUR DONORS AND LENDERS. PRODUCTIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES MUST MAKE A SOUND PROFIT. RESERVES MUST BE CREATED, RESEARCH MUST BE CARRIED ON, ADVENTUROUS PROGRAMMES DEVELOPED, AND MISTAKES PAID FOR. ADVERSE TIMES MUST BE PROVIDED FOR,   ADEQUATE TAXES PAID, NEW MACHINES PURCHASED, NEW OFFICES OPENED, NEW PRODUCTS LAUNCHED AND NEW SALES PLAN DEVELOPED.WE MUST EXPERIMENT    WITH NEW IDEAS. WHEN THESE THINGS BEEN DONE, THE STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD RECEIVE A FAIR RETURN.WE ARE DETERMINED WITH THE HELP OF GOD’S GRACE, TO FULFILL THESE OBLIGATIONS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

AN APPEAL FOR INDIVIDUAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO BIHAR DEVELOPMENT TRUST

GIVE MONEY & PARTCIPATE IN MAKING A NEW FUTURE

Dear Well wishers,

Greetings!!!

As you know that Bihar Development Trust has been promoted by IRMA graduates to bring economic prosperity for people of Bihar. Till now, we have disbursed Rs.14,57,000 to 241 women borrowers. It has been 15 months now since registration & 9 month since starting our microfinance operation.

As a microfinance institution, we need continuous funds to disburse money to our women borrowers. Institutional funding agency are slow to meet our demands for two reasons

1. Promoters do not work experience in microfinance sector.

2. System & processes have not yet stablised.

We feel that we have better system & processes that many bigger MFIs and continuously evolving to match the best and then better the best. It will happen with time.We have mobilised Rs.23,00,000 till now from institutional agencies like FWWB,RGVN,BASIX,TMN.

Our business plan has been vetted by industry experts and found to be good enough for final10 business plan in Srijan 2008. http://www.srijan2008.com/srijan.html#round1results2

UNITUS, BELL WETHER, LOK CAPITAL are talking to us and we are hopeful to convert them to buy our potential and invest equity in us. Our proposals are in advance stage in SIDBI/INDIAN BANK etc.

We have found out that passion & good intention alone does not mean that you will get funds. The reality bites but we are determined to bring fund to Bihar Development Trust. Its our initial days and we are experiencing which a typical entrepreneurs goes through. Resistance is usually the first step, then criticism, then acceptance and finally admiration. We are slow and steady in our growth. We are getting funds but not with the pace that would help us to grow to our potential. We are convinced of oppurtunities in Bihar and It is going to be next gold mine for entrepreneurs. People need to donate to entrepreneurs on ground to meet initial expenses then only things can move. Bihar needs huge investment. If people who have reached higher than middle management hesitate to donate professionals like us , then who they will donate. We are ready for highest level of scrutiny for recieving donation.

Looking at the current situation, I have felt that I need to mobilise individuals for supporting Bihar Development Trust financially. For that, I need to meet people individually who would like to support for the vision of making economically prosperous Bihar. Many of big funding agncies are supported by individuals donors. We also like to cultivate a huge donor base who can contribute to us in a regular manner.

I am looking for a individual donation of Rs.5000/10000 from intrested people who will get tax rebate also.

We have succeeded in a small manner with a donor base of 45 & wellwisher base of 100 persons who correspond with me on regular basis.

I am in Ahmedabad from 26-30 June.I am in Mumbai from 1st july to 7th july.

I would request peopel of Bihar, professionals who wish to see Bihar as a developed state to meet me, guide me, share their life experience. For this, I would need your time and share my vision. Kindly give me appointment for half an hour so that I can meet you.

Kindly help because you may be contributing to a very big successful model which you can be proud of and can say proudly to your children/grandchildren that I helped in building such a grand success story.

Regards

Ravi Chandra

A OPEN LETTER TO READERS- BIHAR DEVELOPMENT TRUST- A DREAM

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Bihar Development Trust!

We have completed nine months of existence as organisation. It has received tremendous support from all of you since our inception as BIHAR DEVELOPMENT TRUST on March 26, 2007.

The idea is to adapt GRAMEEN and AMUL model to Bihar context and in different services and commodities  supported by most efficient technologies.

So to reach the 20 billion dollar/euro goal by 2020 in Bihar, I need support of all of you. For some of you, it may seem figment of imagination by a young people and young organisation which have not yet crossed one year of survival. To be frank, we don't know how we achieve this 'LAKSHYA' or goal but we will achieve it. There are many skeptical of achieving this goal, given the crime ridden scenario that the people not living in Bihar feel more. Crime has been there and will always be there as it is in Mumbai, Delhi or NewYork. But, it has not stopped the people making billions in those cities. So, I feel few of the next new generation billionaire will come from Bihar along with other states.

Many people feel that talking so audaciously and big, we may invite the fate of Sanjay Ghosh or Manjunath or Sateyendra Dubey . How to avoid that fate is a challenge that we may face when we grow big. This question has no answers but we feel that we are not fighting against anyone.  The solution may be creating a win-win scenario in which every stakeholder's benefits. We will work it out when the situation will arrive.

What is our self interest in doing this? Obviously, we will also be making our billions. Only different thing is that it will benefit more than 5 million people or may be more  and they will have more money in their pockets if we surpass our dreams.

Over last one year during my extensive travels, many people have wished me luck as well as not advised to get trapped in Bihar.

The mail has been written to all of you to help me in making Bihar Development Trust as a world class organisation. For which, I need people who shares the similar ownership feelings towards Bihar Development Trust and believe in the dreams as articulated by it. I would like their help in improving governance, transparency and accountability to all stakeholders. The good practice of running an organisation so that it outlasts the longest running organisation of this millennium needs to be instituted right now. We are raw and we have still not learned the art of hiding as we have nothing to hide right now. But, we feel that we need to be alert and vigilant right now so that we are not quagmire by the corruption that prevails in every big organisation. We want to account for every amount we get and pay and make billions in a transparent manner. So that, you all can say that we achieved 20 billion dollar dream and you know how we achieved it.

Can anyone among the thousands who have read till this end will come forward to achieve that?

Regards

Ravi Chandra

CASE STUDY

A basket full of eggs

Bhagalpur situated 400 kms west of Kolkata and 225 kms east of Patna, the capital of Bihar state is infamous for its classic criminal cases in the past. However Subhash, aged 45 and a labourer turned egg seller resides just 10 kms away from the district headquarters has a different story to tell- a story of hope and making a beginning. Subhash has big dreams in his eyes as he sits in his small thatched hut in Belgachhi village of Gaura Chakki Panchayat in Nathnagar block of Bhagalpur district. He has a wife, Sulena devi and two sons, the elder is a drop out of class 8^th and younger one is studying in class 9^th at present.

Subhash is a scheduled caste and therefore never enjoyed a social support system as the society is dominated by the upper caste people who control the resources and hence the opportunities. His business has always been sub-optimal and he has never witnessed a social system that could help him tap the potential of his business. He used to do business by parking his thela (Hand Cart for vending) in a nearby haat(rural marketplace) and he used to serve omelettes out of meagre resources of eggs, a kerosene oil stove and few utensils for cooking. His servings included omelettes, boiled eggs which are sought after products in the bone chilling north Indian winters. All this earned him a meagre INR 50 per day and he has a family of four to support with all his income. To his distress the drunkards in the haat  were habituated of enjoying omelettes with wine and usually bought on credit. Though the money wsa paid but it was never sure when they payment would happen. This often plunged him into a crisis of working capital to buy stocks for his business and as the money was on credit with drunkards he could not even ask for payments in situations of dire need. At times the financial crisis was acute and severe.

The recurring financial crisis had many a times diverted his thoughts to the extreme option of migrating to cities like Surat, Delhi, and Mumbai etc. while living in this constant treacherous poverty. A few days ago he met Ramvilash, a Bihar Development Trust’s field staff, who all of sudden started saying that he would give Subhash Rs.5000/-(five thousand only) loan without taking any collateral or mortgage. Subhash did not pay much attention to him as it was unbelievable for him. He thought it was too good to be true!

Ramvilash went to his village and called a meeting of the villagers and informed and explained about the ‘Samvridhi Scheme’ (samvridhi means prosperity) of Bihar Development Trust (B.D.T.). Somehow with much difficulty and persuasion a group of five women was formed and Sulena Devi (wife of Subhash) is a member of the group. After one month of saving the group unanimously decided to make Sulena the first loanee of the group.

The loan amount was used by Subhash for his business and he started purchasing eggs for the whole week at once instead of daily. Earlier Subhash tells “I had to buy eggs daily from Bhagalpur and I could reach the market for business only by thee in the noon and the customers retuned by five leaving me only two hours of business time. With the stock for the full week I can start business at noon and continue for full five hours. This has helped me enhance my turnover significantly.”

A point in case is the fact that INR 5000 which changed the life of Subhash by changing his business cycle is the same amount that so many of us pay to travel between Bhagalpur and Mumbai in an A.C. coach in the railways. The same amount has transformed the livelihood of Subhash and can go a long way in sustaining a livelihood system of this type.

The microfinance initiative has resulted in an increment in this egg seller’s profit of more than 100%. Bulk buying results in a saving of INR 5 (five only) per carton and for a requirement of five cartons per day it results in a total saving of INR 25 per day. He also saves on daily transportation INR 10 (fair to and fro Bhagalpur from his village. More than money saved the time saved and available to him now has given him courage to take up neighbour’s land on crop sharing basis. This has added an avenue to earn money. He has planted Potato in the field to add to his family income. His wife tells, “More than adding to our income, B.D.T. has brought self respect for my family, we used to take money @10% per month from moneylenders of the village and that too after lots of persuasion. The money was given after deducting the first month’s instalment and on failing to pay interest on time the abusive language brought our morale down before our children.

As we discuss this and the role of B.D.T., Subhash asks B.D.T. workers ‘if I repay your five thousand on time, will my wife be given ten thousand rupee to run a permanent shop in the Haat?

What is the expectation from wellwishers of the organisation?

We expect financial support of amount Rs 5000/10000 or more. This amount will be used to give loans to women as well as to create corpus for the organisation. These loan will be given for productive purpose for growing their small businesses. 

The bank account information is:

TYPE OF ACCOUNT- SAVING

BRANCH-PATNA 

NAME- BIHAR DEVELOPMENT TRUST

Ac no is 142010100201667 ,

AXIS BANK, PATNA BRANCH

SAKET TOWER

S P Verma Road

Patna- 800001

MICR CODE-800211002

IFS CODE- UTIB0000142

Once you have deposited the money, please mail me at bihardev@gmail.com.

You can drop cheque in any AXIS bank branch or transfer electronically with IFS code.

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