New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Nearly 1.4 lakh new PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts were opened and more than 5.4 lakh new enrollments under three Jan Suraksha Schemes were achieved since July 1, according to the Department of Financial Services (DFS).

DFS has launched a three-month nationwide campaign, effective from July 1 till September 30, to bolster the outreach of flagship schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

This campaign seeks to achieve comprehensive coverage across all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), ensuring that every eligible citizen is able to avail the intended benefits of these transformative schemes, according to a Finance Ministry statement.

In the two weeks since the launch of the campaign. a total of 43,447 camps have been conducted across various districts to facilitate beneficiary enrolment under key schemes and promote financial literacy.

The progress reports have been compiled for 31,305 camps thus far.

The campaign is scheduled to continue until September 30, covering approximately 2.70 lakh gram panchayats (GPs) and ULBs and embodies the government’s commitment to ensuring last-mile financial empowerment and enhancing socio-economic inclusion through access to formal financial services.

The government’s Financial Inclusion (FI) initiatives serve as a cornerstone for empowering economically and socially marginalised communities by facilitating equitable access to formal financial services. These initiatives are designed to bring unbanked individuals into the ambit of mainstream banking, thereby reinforcing inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has clarified that the government has not issued any order to banks to close inactive PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts.

“In connection with reports appearing in media that Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance has asked Banks to close inactive PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, the Department of Financial Services has said that it has not asked Banks to close inactive PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts,” according to a recent Finance Ministry statement.

A staggering 55.44 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in India, 56 per cent of which belong to women, and the total amount in these deposits has surpassed Rs 2.5 lakh crore as of May 21 this year.

—IANS

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