Fatehabad residents ''deprived'' of PM''s insurance scheme benefits

Tribune News Service

Fatehabad, November 30

Owing to the lackadaisical attitude of some banks, nearly one lakh families in Fatehabad are being denied benefits under the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) in Fatehabad.

Initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna entails death insurance benefit of Rs 1 lakh in the case of accidental death and permanent disability.

To become eligible for benefits under this scheme, an account-holder needs to have a Rupay card issued against the account opened on zero balance and the account should have at least one transaction in 45 days.

However, the Rupay Cards are being at a very slow pace in Fatehabad district.

No transaction is possible without Rupay cards.

A perusal of the records reveals that out of 2,09,162 accounts opened in the district, Rupay cards have so far been issued to 1,16,288 accounts, thereby denying nearly 1 lakh account-holders benefits of the insurance scheme.

Deputy Commissioner NK Solanki today presided over a meeting to review progress of the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna.

ADC Rajesh Jogpal and managers of several banks were present .

The record of three banks – SBI, State Bank of Patiala (SBoP) and Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank (SHGB) - was found to be abysmally poor in issuing Rupay cards.

The SBI has so far issued 14,526 Rupay cards against 39,322 accounts, SBoP 12,425 cards against 23,164 accounts and the SHGB 11,319 Rupay cards against 42,960 bank accounts.

Indian Bank, Corporation Bank, IDBI, Punjab and Sind Bank, United Bank, ICICI and Yes Bank, on the other hand, have issues Rupay cards to 100 per cent account-holders.

Similarly, Aadhaar card linking of accounts was also found to be merely 53 per cent in the district.