WCD Minister Annpurna Devi hails 12 years of Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Friday hailed the completion of 12 years of the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, describing its journey as one from financial inclusion to economic empowerment.

In a post on X, the Union Minister said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Jan-Dhan Yojana has connected crores of citizens – especially women and rural families – with the formal banking system and built a strong foundation of financial self-reliance.

Sharing the achievements of the scheme, she said that more than 59 crore Jan-Dhan accounts have been opened, of which 56 per cent belong to women, and 78 per cent are in villages and small towns.

Deposits in these accounts have crossed Rs 3.1 lakh crore, and Rs 53 lakh crore has been transferred directly to beneficiaries through the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) trinity, she said.

The Union Minister said that this is not merely a scheme for opening bank accounts, but a transformative journey of dignity, security and empowerment.

Earlier, the Minister chaired the meeting of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the Ministry in Kolkata and discussed schemes for women’s safety, security and empowerment.

The meeting focused on three key components of Mission Shakti – One Stop Centres (OSC), Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) and SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW). Members of Parliament from both Houses and senior Ministry officials attended the meeting, an official said in a statement.

Addressing the Members, the Union Minister said the Ministry is committed to realising the Prime Minister’s vision for women-led development and a Viksit Bharat.

She stated that Mission Shakti is the government’s integrated scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women.

She explained that under its ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme – covering One Stop Centres, Women Helpline, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Nari Adalat – the Central government provides 100 per cent financial assistance to States and UTs.

Under the ‘Samarthya’ sub-scheme – covering Hubs for Empowerment of Women, PMMVY, Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas and Palna – funding is shared between the Centre and States in the ratio of 60:40, and 90:10 for North Eastern and Special Category States.

At the same time, UTs without a legislature receive 100 per cent Central funding.

The Union Minister informed the Members that One Stop Centres, funded under the Nirbhaya Fund and being implemented since April 1, 2015, provide integrated support under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress.

The scheme aims to set up at least one OSC in every district of the country. So far, 1,033 OSCs have been approved, of which 991 are functional and have assisted over 15.20 lakh women, she said.

On PMMVY, the Union Minister said that the scheme, implemented pan-India since January 1, 2017, provides a cash incentive of Rs 5,000 for the first child directly into the Aadhaar-seeded bank or post office account of the mother in two instalments – Rs 3,000 on registration of pregnancy and at least one ante-natal check-up, and Rs 2,000 on registration of childbirth and completion of the first cycle of vaccination.

–IANS

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