Reactivate inactive Jan Dhan accounts: Haryana Chief Secy to banks
Haryana Chief Secretary Dr Vivek Joshi today called on bankers to launch a special campaign to reactivate inactive accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and to encourage nomination updates in depositor bank accounts.
Presiding over the 170th meeting of the State-Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), Joshi highlighted the critical need to re-engage beneficiaries whose accounts have been inactive for a prolonged period. He stressed that activating these dormant accounts would enable account holders to fully utilise the benefits of the PMJDY and promote the overall objectives of financial inclusion.
Expedite loans to artisans under PM scheme
Chief Secretary Dr Vivek Joshi has urged bankers to expedite loan approvals under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, which covers 18 traditional trades and aims to uplift artisans across rural and urban India
The scheme offers credit support of up to Rs 1 lakh (first tranche) and Rs 2 lakh (second tranche) at a concessional 5 per cent interest rate, along with skill upgrade, toolkit incentives, digital transaction incentives, and marketing support
He stressed the role of banks in empowering economically weaker sections by facilitating access to government welfare schemes and financial services. He called for collaborative efforts to strengthen Haryana’s financial ecosystem and maximise the impact of initiatives aimed at inclusive growth.
He urged bankers to expedite the approval and disbursement of loans under the PM Suraj Kiran Yojana, a scheme aimed at providing free electricity to households by installing solar panels on their roofs. He highlighted that in addition to the Central Government subsidy, the Haryana Government also provides additional subsidies to consumers. He emphasised that banks should swiftly clear loans under the PM Suraj Kiran Yojana as they have minimal risk in approving these loans.
Responding to RBI Regional Director Vivek Srivastava on enhancing the digital ecosystem in Haryana, Chief Secretary urged bankers to take proactive measures to raise awareness about the benefits and use of digital payment systems. To promote and increase adoption of digital payments, he suggested setting up dedicated counters in district secretariats, mini-secretariats, and SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) offices across the state, where a large number of people visit daily.
He directed bankers to organise regular meetings in collaboration with district administrations, with a particular focus on MSME institutions, to address and resolve the grievances of MSMEs. He also expressed satisfaction with the current credit-deposit (CD) ratio of 87 per cent but urged bankers to set higher targets in line with states that have achieved even higher CD ratios, to further enhance credit distribution and financial inclusion.
