New Delhi: The Finance Ministry has cleared the air about recent news claiming that banks were asked to close inactive Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts.
In a statement, the ministry said that no such order has been given. Banks have not been told to shut down dormant or inactive accounts.
New Campaign to Boost Usage of Welfare Schemes
Instead of closing accounts, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) has started a 3-month national campaign from July 1.
The goal is to promote Jan Dhan accounts, as well as related schemes like:
- Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
- Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
- Other government-backed financial schemes
During this campaign, banks will also help account holders complete their re-KYC (Know Your Customer) process.
No Mass Closures, Only Monitoring
The government said that it is regularly tracking inactive accounts, but has not ordered mass closures.
Banks have only been advised to reach out to customers to make their accounts active again.
There is no evidence or report of any large-scale closure of Jan Dhan accounts, according to the Finance Ministry.
55 Crore+ Jan Dhan Accounts Opened
As per RBI Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao, more than 55.44 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened so far.
Out of these, 56 percent belong to women. The total money deposited in these accounts has crossed Rs 2.5 lakh crore as of May 21, 2025.
Rao said that the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) has created a huge shift in how financial services are reaching people, especially the poor.
It has also helped the government directly transfer benefits to the right people without middlemen.
(With IANS Inputs)
