Jan Dhan accounts cross 500 mn mark in less than 9 years: Finance ministry

The total number of Jan Dhan accounts in the country has crossed 50 crore-mark, with 56 per cent of the accounts belonging to women, the finance ministry said on Friday.

About 67 per cent of these accounts have been opened in rural and semi-urban areas, it said in a statement.

The total deposits in these accounts are above Rs 2.03 lakh crore while around 34 crore RuPay cards have been issued with these accounts free of cost.

The average balance in Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts is Rs 4,076 and more than 5.5 crore of these are receiving Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), it said.

The National Mission on Financial Inclusion -- popularly known as PMJDY -- which was launched on August 28, 2014, has been successful in changing the financial landscape of the country, it added.

PMJDY offers multiple advantages to account holders such as a bank account without the requirement of a minimum balance, free of cost RuPay debit cards with in-built accident insurance of Rs 2 lakh, and an overdraft facility of up to Rs 10,000.