Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation (MSBEF) has raised doubts about deposits totalling nearly Rs 29,000 crore in Jan Dhan accounts across India after the demonetisation move on November 8. The association has demanded a probe into new accounts opened in public and private sector banks and the amount deposited in these accounts. 

Devidas Tuljapurkar, the general secretary of MSBEF, said the amount deposited in many of these new accounts is suspicious and should be probed. He claimed black money hoarders have used the Jan Dhan accounts to transform black money into white. 

Mr Tuljapurkar said that before November 9, 2016, there were 25.51 crore accounts opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and the amount deposited was Rs 45,636 crore and 61 lakh in these accounts. The percentage of zero balance accounts was 23.27 on December 9, he said.

Mr Tuljapurkar added that between November 9 and November 30, deposits have seen a sudden hike. “Though the number of accounts under the Jan Dhan scheme has increased by a mere 25 lakh, the amount deposited in these banks has recorded an increase by Rs 28,684 crore and 94 lakh. Till November end, deposits reached to Rs 74,321 core and 55 lakh in 25.78 crore bank accounts,” said Mr Tuljapurkar.

Interestingly, the huge hike in deposits has been recorded in public sector banks, followed by regional rural banks and then in private banks. In public sector banks, the deposit on November 9 was Rs 36,403.85 crore, which has reached Rs 57,939 crore and 75 lakh (increase of Rs 21,535 crore and 9 lakh). Meanwhile, in regional rural bank, the amount has been increased from the previous Rs 7,630.75 crore to Rs 13,682.12 crore (RS 6,051.37 crore). Amount deposited in private banks has increased from Rs 1,602.01 crore to Rs 2,699.69 crore. 

The number of Jan Dhan accounts opened in public sector banks is 20.51 crore whereas the number of these accounts in private banks is a mere 86 lakh. People have opened 4.41 crore Jan Dhan accounts in rural banks, out of which 3.79 crore accounts are from rural areas.

Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation represents 56 affiliated units from 40 banks consisting of public sector, private sector, foreign and regional rural banks with a membership of about 40,000 employees.