Fines charged for non-maintenance of min bal in scholarship accounts to be refunded: Maneka

WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi today said fines imposed on students by banks for not maintaining minimum balance in their scholarship accounts would be reimbursed.

The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry had asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to probe a complaint that a student in Maharashtra was fined over non-maintenance of minimum balance.

According to the complaint, lodged by a zila parishad member in Maharashtra, Rs 467 was charged as fine by the State Bank of India (SBI). The scholarship account had Rs 400, a NCPCR official said.

The commission wrote to SBI and the Union Bank of India, asking them to follow the directions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the official said.

The RBI had advised banks to ensure that accounts of all student beneficiaries under various central and state government scholarship schemes are free from restrictions of "minimum balance" and "total credit limit", the NCPCR said quoting a RBI circular.

Following the direction, SBI said it would reimburse the amount charged as fine, the minister said.

"During the inquiry, SBI informed that they will reimburse all the amount deducted from the accounts of such children who were maintaining a DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) account," Gandhi said.

The NCPCR has also directed SBI to designate nodal officers to ensure refund of fines.

"If deducted from the account of children, who are beneficiaries of the RTE (Right to Education) Act, 2009. Chief secretaries have also been roped in to expedite the matter," Gandhi said.

The NCPCR official said the child rights body has also written to the RBI, asking them to ensure that apart from SBI and UBI other banks are also issued direction to not fine students over non-maintenance of minimum balance in scholarship accounts.

The minimum balance amount is varies from bank to bank, a official said.

Gandhi also urged students who are fined for non-maintenance of minimum balance in scholarship account to contact the ministry at min-wcd@nic.in.