1 mn accounts opened under Jan Dhan in Punjab

CM Parkash Singh Badal told bankers to complete the task of opening accounts under the financial inclusion scheme by December 15

Over 1.05 million households have been provided bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) in Punjab so far.

While reviewing the progress of the scheme here at the Chief Minister Office on Monday, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal told the bankers to complete the task of opening accounts under the financial inclusion scheme by December 15.

The chief minister further asked the convenor of State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) to coordinate with the principal secretary (finance) Vini Mahajan, who has been designated as the mission director to accomplish the task of opening these accounts in the rural and urban areas with an integrated approach, to hasten the process of account opening.

The chief minister also directed the mission director to rope in the services of director, census, to provide the latest data on the basis of Census 2011 to bankers so that the scheme could be implemented effectively.

Under the scheme, each household would have at least one bank account that would be opened with zero balance. The bank account would provide basic banking services with overdraft facility of Rs 5,000 after six months of opening the account. It would also entitle the account holder to a RuPay debit card with in-built accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.

Those who open their accounts before January 26, 2015, would also be entitled to health insurance worth Rs 30,000.