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Demonetisation: 23% Jan Dhan accounts without balance despite huge surge in total deposits

News Agencies | Updated on: 10 February 2017, 1:38 IST

Despite a huge surge in total deposits in Jan Dhan accounts following demonetisation, about one-fifth of these still continue to have no balance.

Net addition in the 25.8 crore Jan Dhan accounts was just Rs. 288 crore during the week ended 7 December, taking total deposits to about Rs. 74,610 crore.

The percentage of zero balance account however remained flat at about 22.9 per cent despite the addition of Rs. 29,000 crore in total deposits in about 30 days after demonetisation of high value notes took effect on 9 November.

After the initial surge, total deposits in Jan Dhan accounts have seen a decline week after week. As much as Rs. 1,487 crore was parked in these accounts during 7 days ended November 30, as against Rs. 8,283 crore in the previous week.

The accretion was Rs. 18,615.54 crore a week after demonetisation which moderated to less than half to Rs. 8,582.57 crore during the 7-day period November 17-23. Deposits in the 25.8 crore such accounts totalled Rs. 74,609.50 crore at the end of 7 December, as per the Finance Ministry data.

The upper limit for deposits in Jan Dhan account is Rs. 50,000.

The overall amount was Rs. 72,834.72 crore in 25.68 crore accounts at the end of 23 November.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised the entire nation with demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes on 8 November, deposits in Jan Dhan accounts have increased by 28,973 crore. As of 9 November, the balance in about 25.5 crore such accounts was Rs. 45,636.61 crore.

The aggregate deposits increased to Rs. 64,252.15 crore in a week ended 16 November.

Last week, the government said that inflows into Jan Dhan accounts have come down significantly after it warned people not to allow their accounts to be misused for converting black money into white.

After setting a cash deposit limit of Rs. 50,000 in Jan Dhan accounts, the government had on 18 November cautioned account holders that they will be prosecuted under the I-T Act for allowing misuse of their bank accounts through deposit of black money in Rs. 500/1,000 notes during the 50-day window till 30 December.

The directive came against the backdrop of reports that some people were misusing other persons' bank accounts to convert their black money into new denomination notes.

-PTI

First published: 11 December 2016, 2:29 IST