Jan Dhan Yojana Scheme Kicks off in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai

VELLORE/TIRUVANNAMALAI: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Jan Dhan Yojana to provide a bank account for every Indian household was launched in Tiruvannamalai and Vellore on Thursday.

Modi’s inaugural speech on the scheme from Delhi was broadcast in all branches of Indian Bank in Tiruvannamalai as per the instructions from the Indian Bank office in Chennai. There are around 21 branches of the bank in the district.

During the programme, some of the non-account holders were selected by the special guests and the account number, passbook and ATM card were issued to the beneficiaries. MP and Legislative Assembly members from the district attended the event.

According to an official release, the Jan Dhan Yojana in-charge officer of Tiruvannamlai V Rajadurai urged the non-accountholders in 158 villages to open accounts through the banking correspondent assigned for the respective villages. Between August 18 and 26, a census of non-bank accountholders was conducted and 5,146 new bank accounts were opened in 158 villages during and after the census. An additional  8,000 new accounts would be opened. Identification proofs and photos have been collected from the people, the release said.

In Vellore, the Prime Minister’s inaugural speech of the scheme was screened in  Vellore Collectorate. Collector R Nanthagopal said,” This scheme is for people who belong to the lower class section, so that they could access services of the bank for financial transactions and other purposes.

Usually the middlemen are benefitted  while reaching the financial assistance to people under government welfare schemes. To control the middlemen, the Central government has come up with this systematic plan.

Further the Collector added that only 4 per cent of people in Vellore didn’t have access to bank accounts. Shortly they would have the  bank accounts.

The success of the scheme was  in the hands of the bank employees. They have to understand the situation and work with a touch of humanity, he said.

On the occasion, the Collector issued bank pass books and ATM cards to 40 beneficiaries.