Money lenders in rural economy of Odisha: A reflective discourse

One of the oldest and important institutions in money lending that has played a crucial role in rural economy of the country and maintained its resilient existence right from the ancient times to the present day is the village moneylender. The perception often built on the institution as ‘good or a necessary evil’, the image of the moneylender as exploiter or real credit provider, and a balanced judgment on this discourse is to be sought not in the functioning of the institution but in getting rid of the abuses and malpractices in the business of money lending. The paper basically intends to review a few aspects connected with the money lending activities of the moneylender viz., history of the institution, measures to regulate their business and the share of the institution in the credit market in Odisha in post independence period.