After Notes Ban, Many Defunct Jan Dhan Accounts Spring A Surprise

Bengaluru: The Jan Dhan accounts - the zero balance accounts for the rural poor - have suddenly witnessed a huge inflow after Prime Minister's ban on high denomination currency.

The aim of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was inclusive banking - accounts even for the poor. But for 18 months since this scheme was launched, many of these accounts have seen little activity.

Now, the cash, in banned notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000  has been flowing in - the amounts often going up to Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

At the small South Indian Bank in Anekal, 150 such accounts have received such deposits.

"There are more than 500 Jan Dhan accounts here and we are receiving more deposits in this accounts," said Hemalatha NS, a senior executive of the bank. "People are coming and remitting Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Earlier, there were no transactions in these accounts."

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One of the depositors was R Ramesh, who makes a living running a powerloom in Anekal. He had opened a Jan Dhan account just over a year ago. But it is only now that has deposited Rs 49,000 into it.

"I opened the Jan Dhan account because the Prime Minister talked of zero balance accounts. After the currency notes changed, I put in 49000 rupees," Mr Ramesh told NDTV.

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For deposits of Rs 50,000 and above, a PAN card needs to be produced. Mr Ramesh, who doesn't have one, was just under that limit.

While he is not a singular case, doubts have been raised by a section of bankers that the Jan Dhan accounts, which do have a cap of Rs 1 lakh in account, are being used as a means of turning black money into white.

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The central authorities say they will keep an eye on these accounts.

"The amount of people who are putting money into the Jan Dhan accounts is increasing," said SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya.