Abstract :
Access credit without physical collateral and as bottom up model of development approach, micro finance gets worldwide acceptance as powerful instrument of poverty alleviation programme in new economy. Numbers of micro finance institutions in various entity entered as alternative micro finance institutions to fulfil the needs of underprivileged classes. This research article depicts the perception of the clients and non clients of Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts of Assam regarding the changes they feel about micro-finance services of NGOs. Two NGOs namely, Institute of Integrated Resource Management (IIRM) and Gramin have been purposively selected from Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts of Assam and sample size comprises 945 numbers of women clients of selected NGOs and 945 numbers of non clients from same area selected randomly through lottery. Survey method was applied to gather the information. Features like, low interest rate in comparison of other non-institutionalised sources, micro finance service at their doorstep plays an important factors in accepting the NGOs micro finance services in the study area. It is widely perceived by the clients, that NGOs microfinance is helping in employment creation and thus increases household income. It is also believed by both clients and non-clients that, access to financial services are likely to make both qualitative and quantitative changes.
Keyword :
Non Government Organization (NGO), Micro finance, Perception, Economic empowerment, Quantitative, Qualitative change