Imphal, May 15: At a time when it is common to hear about many people misusing the loan taken from banks, it is heartening to come across the success stories of a few laonees who have the guts and grits to transform their dreams into reality with little assistance from financial institutions.

State Bank of India (SBI) today felicitated five such persons during a glittering function held as part of the SBI Farmers� Meet at JN Manipur Dance Academy complex this afternoon.

Ng Bimolata Devi, the reckoning force behind the success of M/s Bimolata Creation was felicitated with Best Entrepreneurs Award.

Managing Director of SBI Corporate Office, Mumbai and Group Executive (NBG) K Ashok Kini presented the award to the young woman entrepreneur.

An earlier recipient of Special Award for SC/ST Entrepreneur 2002 under National Award for Research and Development Efforts in Small Scale Industries, Bimolata was honoured for the success of the unit M/s Bimolata Creation which was started in 1994 with a PMRY loan of Rs 95,000 from SBI Imphal Secretariat Branch.

Her unit engaged in manufacture of embroidery garments, cushion covers, bed sheets, bridal dresses, wedding apparels and fashion wear.

The unit has achieved continuous growth since inception and presently employs 71 workers with an annual turn over running over lakhs.

Four other individuals were also felicitated at the occasion.

They are N Jiten Singh with Best PMRY Liquidation Award; M Geetchandra Sharma of M/s Plastic Industries with Best Borrower Award, L Kajung with Best Horticulturist award and to Dikho Mao of Passion Fruit processing Industries, Punanamei with Best Agro-Best Industries award.

During the function, an agreement was also signed between SBI and MSFAC for taking up cultivation of Jatropha Curcus (Awa Kege) on large scale in Manipur by imparting the technical know-how to the farmers and facilitating marketing facilities.

From the side of SBI, AGM, Regional Office, Shillong S C Rath put the ink on the agreement paper and from MSFAC�s side by its Project Co-ordinator MS Khaidem.

The agreement was signed in the presence MD of Corporate Office, SBI, Mumbai K Ashok Kini, Dy Director SBI Mumbai Dr Rajkumar, CGM of SBI Local Lead, Guwahati PB Lahri, DGM AK Ghosh Dastidar and GM CR Mangaraj.

As part of the SBI Farmers� Meet, a farmers� mela (fair) was also inaugurated today along with distribution of tractors and power tillers to the beneficiary farmers of SBI loan.

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