57.50 Lakh PM Jan Dhan Accounts In Gujarat Lie Inoperative, RTI Reveals
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Fresh data procured under the Right to Information Act shows that 57.50 lakh Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts in Gujarat are currently inoperative, accounting for roughly 29% of the state total.
While Gujarat has 2.01 crore total Jan Dhan accounts, nearly three out of every ten remain unused for financial transactions. The state's inoperative rate stands approximately 2.6% points above the national average of 26%.
Pockets of Resilience
Despite the high volume of dormant accounts, the state presents a mixed financial picture. Gujarat hosts 14.15 lakh zero-balance accounts, translating to roughly 7.04% of its total base. This proportion performs better than the national average, where nearly 9.69% of accounts carry no balance.
Women display strong structural participation across the state's banking network. According to the report, the total number of Jan Dhan account holders in Gujarat has crossed 2.01 crore from which Female account holders represent 51.3% of the total base, numbering 1.03 crore, while male account holders stand at 97.85 lakh. Collectively, these accounts hold a combined deposit of ₹12,804.16 crore, bringing the average balance per account to ₹6,368—a figure higher than typical national trends.
Underlying Pressures
Banking experts attribute the high count of dormant portfolios to multiple systemic gaps. Irregular disbursement of direct benefit transfers, lack of local financial literacy, and migration patterns among rural labourers often leave accounts untouched for long stretches. When accounts stay inactive beyond stipulated windows, financial institutions automatically classify them as dormant, restricting routine access until KYC verification is renewed.
Local administrators face mounting pressure to bridge the gap between financial inclusion policy and active usage. Without sustained engagement and regular transactional utility, millions of state-backed accounts risk remaining symbolic entries rather than active tools for economic mobility.
