Bank Accounts now with 70 crore Indians: Modi

New Delhi, Aug 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said some 70 crore people untouched by any form of financial inclusion today had bank accounts, thanks to the scheme he announced exactly a year ago.

Addressing the nation on India’s 69th Independence Day, the prime minister said these bank accounts have also fetched deposits of Rs.20,000 crore, even though the Jan Dhan scheme calls for zero balance banks so that the poor are not deprived of access to the baking system.

“For the poor, the doors of banks were closed. I said this has to change. We wanted to strengthen financial inclusion,” the prime minister said. “Bank accounts are essential for integrating the poor into the financial system. That’s what we have done.”

As regards the deposits of Rs.20,000 crore in these bank accounts, the prime minister said: “If this richness of the poor was not there, such a feat would no have been possible.”

Modi said no person wants to remain poor and those who live in poverty want to move away to achieved a better quality of life. “That is why, all our programmes must be for the poor.” (IANS)