As many as 10,56,000 households have been brought within the ambit of banking under ‘Pardhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna’ in the state till date from the launch of the scheme on August 28, 2014. While reviewing the progress of the scheme here at CMO this morning, the Chief Minister said that since it was the flagship program of the government of India and the state government was duty bound to implement it in the right earnest so that the fruits of development and prosperity could percolate at the grass roots level. He asked the bankers to complete the task of opening accounts under this financial inclusion scheme positively by December 15, 2014. The Chief Minister further asked the Convener State level Bankers Committee (SLBC) to coordinate with the Principal Secretary Finance Mrs. Vini Mahajan, who has been designated as the Mission Director to accomplish the gigantic task of opening these accounts in the rural and urban areas with an integrated approach to hasten up the process of account opening. Mr. Badal also directed the Mission Director to rope in the services of Director Census to provide the latest available data on the basis of 2011- census to the bankers so that the scheme could be implemented effectively. Mr. Badal also emphasized the need to create awareness amongst the people about the benefits of scheme through extensive media publicity so that majority of people who had been so far remain excluded from banking could now become account holders to partake the fruits of development and prosperity.
Badal also desired that the departments of Local Govt., Rural Development & Panchayats and Social Security to involve the field staff of municipal corporations & councils, BDPOs and panachyat secretaries besides anganwadi workers to help the bankers in mobilizing the households for getting their accounts opened in the nearest camps organized by them under the scheme. Mr. Badal also directed the pisional Commissioners – the nodal officers for effective implementation of the scheme in the state to ensure that the group of villages/wards was assigned to inpidual officers, who would in turn coordinate with banks for the opening of these accounts.
Badal asked the Mission Director and SLBC Convener to chalk out the modalities to ensure the financial empowerment of the people especially the women living below the poverty line in the rural areas of the state by opening their accounts under the scheme. He reiterated that Punjab had ever been a role model state in implementing any development scheme or pro-people welfare initiatives launched by the state government and even the Government of India, adding he said Punjab would be No.1 state in the country to meet the deadline of December 15, 2014. He also mentioned that the necessary directions had already been issued to all the Cabinet Ministers and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries to monitor the progress of the scheme at their own level.
Meanwhile, the Field General Manager of Punjab National Bank and Convener State level Bankers’ Committee Mr. Harpal Singh thanked the Chief Minister for extending all possible help and cooperation to make this scheme a grand success and assured Mr. Badal that the bankers would make all out efforts to even advance the deadline set by him to November 30, 2014. He also gave vital inputs to bring far more efficiency in the implementation of the scheme through close liaison with the district administration and concerned banks.
It may be recalled that under this Scheme, each household would have at least one Bank Account which would be opened with zero balance. The Bank account would provide basic banking services with overdraft facility of Rs.5000/- after six months of opening the Account. It would also entitle the account holder with a RuPay Debit Card with inbuilt accidental insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh. Those who open their accounts before January 26, 2015 would also be entitled for Health Insurance worth Rs.30,000.Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included Finance Minister Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Secretary to CM Mr. SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary Finance Mrs. Vinni Mahajan, Secretary Expenditure Mr. Jaspal Singh, Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar, Secretary Local Government Mr. Ashok Gupta besides several bankers from various banks.