Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh today launched State Level Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY), an ambitious financial inclusion scheme under which the Government intends to provide every household with a bank account and insurance cover to the poor. The Scheme was simultaneously launched at National level by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
After the launching of the Scheme Chief Minister said that it would go a long way in strengthening the socio-economic development and would provide several other benefits to the people and associate the people of the State with the Banking system.
Initially every account holder will get a RuPay debit card with rupees One lakh as accident cover to the poor besides there was also provision of micro loan to women upto Rs.5000, said he.
Chief Minister said that main objective of the scheme was to provide banking facility to the poorest of the poor so that in case of any financial emergency they could be provided relief through the scheme. This would help in economic empowerment of the poor.
Chief Minister said that the Banks had played pivotal role in strengthening of the economy of the people particularly in agriculture and Rural development sector in Himachal Pradesh.
He said that there were 1827 branches of banks in the State out of which 1460 branches were functioning in rural areas. As against the National average of one branch per 13,000 people, the State boasts of having one branch per 3575 people, which was far better than the National level and indicates about the wide network of banks in the State.
Social welfare sector was amongst the top priorities of the State and Himachal Pradesh was amongst one of the leading States in the Country. He said that the social security pension had been enhanced from Rs 450 to Rs 550 per month and a sum of Rs 1000 was given as pension to those above 80 years of age. He said that Himachal Pradesh had already excelled in providing banking access to the people of the State and the to avail the benefits of various welfare schemes the State Government has enhanced the annual income limit of the people from Rs 20000 to Rs.35000.
He said that all the 304921 pensioners of the State were being facilitated through the banks. He said that the State Government was endeavoured to provide houses to houseless and was providing two biswa of land in urban and three biswa of land in rural areas to eligible houseless. He said that there were 383464 eligible families under the National Swasthya Bima Yojna and State Government has also included the scavengers, rickshaw pullers and taxi drivers.
Under various housing schemes in the State the financial assistance being provided to the poor has been enhanced from Rs 48500 to Rs 75000 and as many as 10700 new houses were being constructed.
“Our Government launched Skill development Allowance Scheme to upgrade skills of the youth and was also providing them an honorarium” he said.
The State Government was committed for the upliftment of weaker section of the society as no scheme or task can be accomplished without effective participation of the community. He said that the benefits being provided by the State Government should percolate down to the last man.
The Chief Minister also distributed RuPay debit cards to the beneficiaries on the occasion.
Earlier Sh JK Garg, Executive Director UCO Bank welcomed the Chief Minister on the occasion and detailed about the Scheme. He said that the scheme would be launched in two phases and would cover as many as seven crore households in the country.
Sh Harsh Mahajan, Chairman HP State Co-operative Bank, Chief Secretary, Sh P Mitra, Principal Secretary Finance, Dr. Shrikant Baldi, Sh KK Verma Chief Manager, UCO Bank, senior officers of the State Government and the Banking Institutions and representative of the Panchayats were also present on the occasion amongst the others.
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