Number of Jan Dhan accounts rise to 58.15 crore, deposits touch Rs 3 lakh crore
New Delhi, June 8
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's initiatives during the last 12 years have strengthened access to financial inclusion, healthcare, housing, tap water, clean fuel and social security exponentially, according to a factsheet put out by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's office on Monday.
The statement highlights that the number of Jan Dhan bank accounts for the poor across India has touched the 58.15 crore mark, with the total deposits in these accounts increasing to Rs 3 lakh crore, which reflects the success of the scheme. The opening of these accounts under the Prime Minister's Jan Dhan Yojana in rural areas is seen as the biggest financial inclusion exercise in the world. According to RBI data, 56 per cent of the Jan Dhan accounts belong to women.
The Jan Dhan Yojana-Aadhaar-Mobile, which comprises the "JAM Trinity", has provided a quantum leap in the country's endeavour to ensure financial inclusion and ensure that the benefit of government welfare schemes reaches the targeted beneficiaries without any leakages.
The statement underlines that the number of Ayushman Bharat cards under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has reached the 44 crore mark. The scheme provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 12 crore families, constituting the bottom 40 per cent of India's population. Additionally, in March 2024, approximately 37 lakh families of Accredited Social Health Activists, Anganwadi Workers, and Anganwadi Helpers were included under the scheme. The scheme was further expanded to cover 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above, belonging to 4.5 crore families, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
Besides, the statement highlights that 15.7 crore tap water connections have been issued to provide safe drinking water to the poor, over 12 crore toilets have been constructed to improve their conditions of living, and 2.9 crore households have been given electric connections under the Saubhagya scheme.
The Union Cabinet recently approved a proposal to restructure and reorient the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission from infrastructure creation to service delivery, supported by drinking water governance and an institutional ecosystem for sustainable rural piped potable water supply.
For restructuring the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), focusing on structural reforms, the Cabinet has approved an increase in the total outlay to Rs 8.69 lakh crore, with total Central assistance of Rs 3.59 lakh crore -- up from Rs 2.08 lakh crore approved in 2019-20. The additional Central share works out to Rs 1.51 lakh crore, according to an official statement.
The factsheet also highlights that as many as 10 crore LPG connections have been issued to provide cooking gas to poor households, and 4 crore pucca houses have been built for poor families under a scheme launched by the Modi government.
— IANS
Reader Comments
So heartening to see 56% of these accounts belong to women! Finally, our mothers and sisters are getting a foothold in the formal banking system. The Ayushman Bharat cards for 44 crore people is also amazing – healthcare for the bottom 40% is a big deal. Still, we need to ensure these cards are actually accepted in hospitals easily. 🏥
It's impressive how India has scaled up financial inclusion. The Jan Dhan numbers are staggering – from zero to 58 crore accounts. The additional Rs 1.51 lakh crore for Jal Jeevan Mission shows commitment to water access. But I wonder about the quality of these services on the ground. Numbers are good, but implementation and maintenance are the real tests. 🤔
Look at those figures – 15.7 crore tap connections, 12 crore toilets, 10 crore LPG connections, all in 10 years! This is what real development looks like in villages. My own village got piped water just last year thanks to JJM. The Ujjwala scheme has transformed lives – no more smoke-filled kitchens for our mothers. Good going Modi ji! 🇮🇳
The scale of these schemes is mind-boggling – 44 crore Ayushman cards, 4 crore pucca houses. India is really trying to lift the bottom of the pyramid. But I'm curious about the coverage of senior citizens in Ayushman Bharat – 6 crore additional people is ambitious. Hope the hospital infrastructure keeps pace with this demand. 🏡
While the numbers are impressive
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