Jan Dhan scheme: DK dist achieves 100 pc target

1.64 lakh new accounts have been opened after the scheme was launched on August 28, says DC

Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim has said that Dakshina Kannada district has achieved a milestone of covering cent per cent households in opening bank accounts under Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, he said that out of 4,39,733 households in the district as per the 2011 census, all the households have accounts. A total of 1.64 lakh new accounts have been opened after the scheme was launched on August 28. The household surveys have been conducted to ensure that atleast one person in a family possesses a bank account.

The DC said that as per the guidelines of the department of Financial Services of Ministry of Finance, the banks are required to cover each and every households with a minimum of one bank account by January 26, 2015.

As per the guidelines issued by the State Level Bankers Committee-Karnataka to declare the district as fully covered in the opening of Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBD) under PMJDY, it has directed the district administration to issue public notices in local dailies to inform that the banks in the district have fully completed the process in opening the accounts of all uncovered households and invite the households to open the accounts if not opened so far giving a specific time frame.

The district administration has already published a notice on covering all households under the scheme in public offices like Zilla Panchayat, DC’s office, all executive offices and tahsildars office at block levels and all the bank branches one week ago. The authorities have not received any objections from the public on not opening the bank accounts. The banks have already completed the household survey.

The DC said that in case if there are any households in the district who have not been covered under financial inclusion, then they can contact the nearest branch to open the account.

He said that the District Level Implement Committee of Pradhan mantri Jan Dhan Yojana will submit the action taken report on the performance under the scheme to the State Level Implementation Committee to be submitted to the government to officially decalre Dakshina Kannada as a district with cent per cent financial inclusion.

District Lead Bank (Syndicate Bank) Chief Manager Amarnath Hegde said that about 25 banks in the district were entrusted with the responsibility to open the accounts. Citing an example, he said that Canara Bank was given the responsibility of 26 villages and 20 wards, Corporation Bank with 21 villages and 33 wards, Syndicate Bank with 60 villages and 28 wards to cover the entire district. On October 25, banks had conducted mega camps in 15 locations in the district to open accounts, he said.

ZP CEO Tulasi Maddineni was present.