Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday said that Goa was the first State to sow the seeds for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana in 2001, when a social welfare scheme first used Electronic Clearance System(ECS) for direct transfer of doles to senior citizens.
Mr. Parrikar was addressing a function organised by the State Social Welfare Ministry, to mark the 15th anniversary of the BJP government’s landmark social welfare scheme of Dayanand Social Security(DSS).
“In 100 days, our Prime Minister implemented ECS facility across the entire country. There is definitely an element of pride that the first step [towards such a scheme] was taken [in Goa] in 2001,” said Mr. Parrikar.
In 2001, Mr. Parrikar, as Goa’s first BJP Chief Minister, launched the DSS which provided senior citizens, most of them from economically weaker sections, Rs. 500 every month through ECS in bank accounts. The sum is now enhanced to Rs. 2,000 per month.
The scheme has been extended to other sections such as single women, orphans, disabled, widows, and those living with HIV.
The State spends around Rs. 27 crore per month on DSS. This had meant opening of thousands of bank accounts of senior citizens, who earlier had no access to the banking system.
Nearly 1.36 lakh beneficiaries are availing benefit of the scheme in a State with population of slightly below 15 lakh.
Riding piggyback on this scheme, Goa emerged as the first State to have cent per cent coverage of population with bank accounts under Modi’s Jan Dhan Yojana which was launched in August last year.
Mr. Parrikar said that over 17 crore accounts were opened since the launch of the scheme, thanks to an unprecedented outreach by the government machinery as well as the banking sector. “When the Jan Dhan yojana was announced on August 15 in Goa, I had said that Goa had taken the first step in this regard. Some people thought I was trying to take credit for it. Goa is small, it worked as a model,” Mr. Parrikar recalled.
Mr. Parrikar also stated that the Union government under Skill India Mission was striving to create employment opportunities for Goa and the exercise in this regard has been already started.
