Rs 300 cr enters Jan Dhan accounts in Chhattisgarh's red-zone

Deposits were made in 40 SBI branches in Bastar region; most accounts had not seen any other transactions since they were opened

Over Rs 300 crore has been deposited in Jan Dhan accounts in the Naxal-infested of Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, an official of the State Bank of India revealed today.

The surge in the deposits post demonetisation has come under the scanner, with banking and security agencies keeping a close watch on development in this space. Most accounts opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana are operated by tribals with zero balance.

According to bank officials, the huge deposits were made in as many 40 branches of State Bank of India (SBI) in Bastar region. While the total number of accounts that received the money was not disclosed, most had not seen any other transactions ever since they were opened.

In Awapalli, Dornapal, Bijapur, Sukma and Bhopalapatnam, where Naxals had stronghold, fixed amounts have been deposited in the accounts.

“Huge amounts have been deposited in the branches located in the interior areas and the matter has been reported to the state-level bankers committee (SLBC) and department of financial services,” Sridhar Rao, regional manager of SBI, said.

Not all accounts were put under the scanner as in many cases the transactions could be genuine, he added.

A team of bank officials had visited the branches in the interior area and prepared a report that has not yet been disclosed. Security agencies have also been kept on alert to ensure that poor villagers are not exploited by the rebels.

“Security agencies are keeping a close watch on the suspected accounts,” Director General of Police (anti-Naxal operations) D M Awasthy said. He added that it could not be said that all the deposits belong to Naxals, as others could also use the channel to legalise black money.