Over 86 Per Cent Of 41.75 Crore Jan Dhan Bank Accounts Opened Under PMJDY Are Operative: Govt

The government on Monday (8 February) said that around 36 crore of the 41.75 crore total bank accounts opened till 27 January 2021, under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), are operative.

As many as 35.96 crore or 86.13 per cent of the total opened 41.75 crore Jan Dhan accounts are operative, the government told Lok Sabha on Monday (8 February).

"As reported by Public Sector Banks (PSBs) [including sponsored Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)] and 14 major Private Sector Banks, as on 27.01.2021, a total number of 41.75 crore accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) out of which 35.96 crore accounts are operative," Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur informed the Lok Sabha.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Thakur said that under the PMJDY, a bank account can be opened with any bank branch or Business Correspondent (BC) including those of Private Sector Banks.

The minister further stated that total number of PMJDY accounts opened by PSBs (including sponsored RRBs) and 14 major Private Sector Banks are 40.48 crore and 1.27 crore respectively.

Giving more details, the minister said that accounts opened under PMJDY are Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) accounts. As per RBI guidelines dated 10 June 2019, banks are required to offer the following minimum banking facilities, free of charge, to the BSBD account holders, without any requirement of minimum balance:

• Deposit of cash at bank branch as well as ATMs/CDMs.

• Receipt/ credit of money through any electronic channel or by means of deposit /collection of cheques drawn by Central/State government agencies and departments.

• No limit on number and value of deposits that can be made in a month.

• Minimum of four withdrawals in a month, including ATM withdrawals.

• ATM Card or ATM-cum-Debit Card.