Ahmedabad, Aug 4 : Gujarat has crossed the milestone of opening more than 1.94 crore bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), enabling access to essential banking services for millions of citizens in both rural and urban areas.

Gujarat has made headway in bringing citizens into the banking fold through zero-balance accounts, as per official data shared on Monday.

These accounts not only enable basic savings and financial transactions but also connect account holders to key social security benefits such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (life insurance), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (accident insurance), and the Atal Pension Yojana.

To further bolster this outreach, the Central government has launched a special three-month campaign -- 'Jan Suraksha Santushti Abhiyan' -- from July 1 to September 30, focusing on financial inclusion and social protection.

This initiative is being rolled out across all 14,610 gram panchayats and urban local bodies of Gujarat, with Village Computer Entrepreneurs (VCEs) deployed to assist citizens with opening accounts, completing KYC formalities, registering nominees, and gaining awareness about digital fraud prevention and dormant deposit claims.

The campaign also aims to ensure doorstep delivery of key banking and pension services at minimal or no cost, especially in far-flung and underserved areas.

Citizens without existing bank accounts are being encouraged to open basic savings deposits or small accounts with zero balance, for which no minimum balance is required.

Account holders receive RuPay debit cards, and if the card is used at least once every 90 days, they are entitled to accident insurance coverage of up to Rs 2 lakh. Furthermore, after six months of satisfactory account operation, beneficiaries are eligible for an overdraft facility of up to Rs 10,000.

The campaign was formally launched at the state level from Pundhara village in Gandhinagar district on July 1, with the virtual inauguration conducted by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in the presence of Finance Minister Kanu Desai.

The scheme also facilitates seamless delivery of subsidies and benefits under schemes such as LPG (DBT), MNREGA wages, pensions, and various scholarships, directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts. Additional digital services like mobile banking and UPI support are also being extended, making financial transactions more accessible to the last mile.

/IANS