Four-point strategy to expedite PMJDY coverage in Odisha

The aim is to cover 750 SSAs that have so far been left out, ensuring they have access to uninterrupted services

In a bid to expedite the coverage of flagship Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), aimed at opening of at least one account for each household in the country, the department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance, has chalked out a four-point strategic targets to cover the unbanked villages and urban wards.

Firstly, the strategic target includes Aadhaar seeding of accounts, issuance of RuPay cards, pin distribution and activation in central pensioner accounts, all accounts in Union territories for smooth implementation of DBT schemes and seeding in all other accounts including the PMJDY accounts.

Secondly, the target stresses on connectivity in sub service areas (SSA) and villages. The strategy is to cover 750 left-out SSAs, ensuring they have access to uninterrupted services.

Bank Mitra availability, deployment, strengthening and training has been identified as the strategic target to provide hassle free services to people in the unbanked villages and urbanwards under PMJDY considered as the pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Zero balance monitoring, overdraft facility and automation has also been given due emphasis in the four point strategic target. The activity envisaged branchwise monitoring where zero balance accounts are more than 50 per cent of the accounts opened under PMJDY, sending sms, letters, telephonically contacting the customers to activate the account.

As per data available, a total number of 226 million accounts have been opened under the scheme, as on 20 July, with 139 million and 87 million accounts in rural and urban area respectively in country. About 183 million RuPay accounts have been issued and 109 million accounts are seeded with Aadhar. The balance in accounts stood at Rs 40,600.91 crore while 24.49 per cent are zero balance.

"We reiterate to make a serious note of strategic targets and the strategies for scrupulous compliance and complete the task by the timeline fixed", SLBC (State Level Bankers' Committee) Odisha wrote to all the banking heads.