NEW AAGHRANI BANGA MUTUAL BENEFIT NIDHI LIMITED

Our office is located in the village of Baikara, which is part of the Gaighata area in North 24 Parganas. We are based at Krishna Pada Ghosh’s house. It’s a rural setting, so it’s much quieter than the towns. We run this mutual benefit Nidhi to help the people in our village and the surrounding spots. It is a very simple operation. We don’t have a big staff; it’s just a few of us who know everyone in the area. We sit and talk to the villagers about their savings and how we can help them out with small needs. Most of the time, we are just sitting around the table going over the paperwork. There is no air conditioning, just the ceiling fans and the open door. We like being in the village because it feels more personal. People don't feel intimidated to come in and talk. We do our best to keep everything organized, though sometimes the paperwork piles up a bit on the corner desk. It’s a lot of responsibility to handle other people's money, so we take the record-keeping seriously. We don’t use any complicated banking software; we just keep it clear and easy for everyone to understand. It’s a good way to stay connected to the community here in Gaighata. We usually close up before it gets too dark outside.