New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated beneficiaries on the decade anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
"Today, we mark a momentous occasion-10 years of Jan Dhan. Congratulations to all the beneficiaries and compliments to everyone who worked to make this scheme a success," the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
PM Modi highlighted that the Jan Dhan Yojana has been instrumental in "boosting financial inclusion and giving dignity to crores of people, especially women, youth, and the marginalised communities."
Today, we mark a momentous occasion— #10YearsOfJanDhan. Congratulations to all the beneficiaries and compliments to all those who worked to make this scheme a success. Jan Dhan Yojana has been paramount in boosting financial inclusion and giving dignity to crores of people,… pic.twitter.com/VgC7wMcZE8
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 28, 2024
PMJDY was launched by Prime Minister Modi on August 28, 2014 and has become the world's largest financial inclusion scheme — with more than 53.14 crore beneficiaries and total deposit balances at Rs 2,31,236 crore.
The Ministry of Finance said in a latest statement that PMJDY accounts grew 3.6-fold from 15.67 crore in March 2015 to 53.14 crore as on August 14.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that universal and affordable access to formal banking services is essential for achieving financial inclusion and empowerment, as “it integrates the poor into the economic mainstream and plays a crucial role in the development of marginalised communities.”
“PM Jan Dhan Yojana has transformed the banking and financial landscape of the country over the last decade. These bank accounts have garnered a deposit balance of Rs. 2.3 lakh crore, and resulted in the issuance of over 36 crore free-of-cost RuPay cards, which also provide for a Rs 2 lakh accident insurance cover,” Minister Sitharaman noted.
Notably, there are no account opening fees or maintenance charges and no requirement to maintain a minimum balance. The PMJDY scheme provides one basic bank account for every unbanked adult. For this account, there is no need to maintain any balance and also no charges are levied on this account.
PMJDY account holders are also eligible for getting an overdraft of up to Rs 10,000 to cover exigencies. The Finance Minister said that it is heartening to note that 67 per cent of the accounts have been opened in rural or semi-urban areas, and 55 per cent of accounts have been opened by women.
The Jan-Dhan Aadhaar and mobile (JAM) trinity, with PMJDY as one of its pillars, has proven to be a diversion-proof subsidy delivery mechanism.
