Jan Dhan Yojana plagued by technical glitches in Mysuru

2.21 lakh new accounts have been opened in the district

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, launched in August to ensure cent per cent financial inclusion in the district, has been hit by technical problems.

This has in turn delayed Jan Dhan beneficiaries from receiving RuPay cards, without which they will not be eligible to the Rs one lakh insurance cover, which was promised during the launch of the scheme. Another shock for the beneficiaries is that they will not be able to enjoy an overdraft of Rs 5,000, anytime soon.

While December 10 was the last date to ensure that each family has at least one bank account, bank officials say that 90 per cent of the target has been met. Speaking to Deccan Herald, K N Shivalingaiah, Lead Bank Manager and Member Secretary of Jan Dhan Implementation Committee, said that 2.21 lakh accounts have been opened in the district, since the launch of the scheme. If there are any families which are yet to open accounts, they will be covered during the next few days, he said.

“We are compiling information from all banks in the district. 10-12 banks have sent confirmation letters that they have covered the areas allotted to them. Around five banks are yet to issue confirmation regarding the same,” he said.

No RuPay

The accounts opened under the scheme are Left Thumb Mark (LTM) accounts, which require biometric data of the account holder to be captured. RuPay cards will be issued only after Jan Dhan accounts are biometric enabled, he said.

Since, most of the account holders under the scheme are illiterate and cannot use pin numbers for transactions, left thumb impression is necessary to operate their accounts, he said. “Considering these problems, there are plans to link Aadhaar numbers with the Jan Dhan accounts. However, there are constraints there too,” he said.

Regarding complaints that some banks are yet to issue pass books to persons who have opened Jan Dhan accounts, he said that there has been strict directions to issue the same.

On the overdraft facility, he said that only such beneficiaries, who have had “satisfactory transactions” for a period of six months, will be able to enjoy the overdraft facility, he said. However, directions regarding the same are awaited, he added.