They realise over 35 per cent interest on loans, which is three times higher than rates stipulated by the government. No economic activity is viable with such high-interest loan, they said at the press conference held at Gaibandha Press Club. The NGOs should lower the interest rates if they really want to help the poor improve their condition, they said.

Most of the loan recipients are illiterate and poor and they, in most cases, do not utilise the loans in profitable or productive activities because they do not have any training.

The NGOs do not go to the ultra poor in shoal areas of Teesta and Brahmaputra river basins because those people do not have any ability to repay loans, the officials alleged.

The press conference was addressed by Saiful Islam Shisir, Executive Director of Gano Sasthya Kendro. Its officials Sail Khan, Shafiqul Islam Alamgir and Julfiquer Ahmed Jewel also attended the press conference.

It was organised on the eve of distribution of rice and potato packets among several thousand destitute families living on flood control embankments at Saidpur in Fulchari upazila.

Gano Sasthya Kendro will provide assistance to 5,000 monga-affected families in Gaibandha and Kurigram after Eid, the officials said.

It will also set up a hospital at Chandia village in Fulchari upazila and construct 35 primary schools for shoal children, they said.

They alleged that the NGOs do not have any sustainable programme for generating livelihood in shoal areas.

The poor loan recipients rarely realise that they are paying so high interest because they repay it in small amounts in weekly installments.

Scheduled banks provide small loans at 10 per cent interest. The rate is 5 per debt in monga-prone areas, they said.

It is hardly possible for borrowers under microcredit system to better their economic condition as they are to start repaying along with interest soon after getting the loan. This leaves little opportunity to go for income generating activities, they said.

"Some particular NGOs simply invest money on interest under the banner of microcredit. They are no better than Kabuliwallas", Saiful told the press conference.

They suggested that a sustainable integrated programme for development of livelihood of shoal people in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts should be taken up jointly by the government and NGOs.

Narrating their experience during their visit to some remote shoal areas, the Gano Sashthya officials said shoal people prefer long term loans bearing small interest instead of microcredit now being provided by NGOs.