The SHG-Bank Linkage Programme (SHG-BLP) in India was conceived to fill the gap existing in the formal financial network by extending the outreach of banking to the poor in an affordable way. The programme which was initially started as pilot project has now become a movement throughout the country over the period of two decades, covering around 10 crore poor households. Notwithstanding the remarkable progress, geographically there has been a skewed development of SHG-BLP. There is wide regional disparity both in terms of the spread of SHGs and amount of loan outstanding to these groups. In...