The Indian Banks Association (IBA) has directed all member banks to deposit Rs 500 to all accounts held by women under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) for the next three months.
The directive is based on the recent announcement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to ease the stress of the sections worst hit by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in India. The IBA notification to member banks concerned logistics for withdrawal and direct cash transfers reported The Hindu Business Line.
It also informed the banks that the Department of Financial Services (DFS) of the Ministry of Finance has already collated all the details required of the beneficiaries of the relief scheme including their bank account details.
The Managing Committee of IBA held a meeting on March 30, to discuss how banks must follow social distancing and hygiene protocols during the nationwide lockdown while ensuring beneficiaries get to easily withdraw the amount deposited under the scheme.
To make sure the process is seamless, a token system may be introduced at all such bank branches so that there is no crowding. The tokens will additionally be distributed daily depending on the capacity of the respective branches.
Customers holding RuPay cards would be advised to withdraw the cash using electronic channels such as the AePS (Aadhaar-Enabled Payment System) or ATMs. All banks have also been told to make sure there is enough liquidity at the branches and also make sure the ATMs are replenished regularly.
