Chief Secretary reviews financial inclusion measures in J&K

Srinagar, Jul 30: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the status of financial inclusion initiatives and beneficiary-oriented schemes being implemented across J&K.
The Chief Secretary underscored the need for saturation of all financial inclusion schemes in the Union Territory. He expressed concern over the low enrolment rates in several welfare schemes. He directed the concerned departments to scale up coverage in a mission mode to ensure no eligible citizen is left out.
The Chief Secretary highlighted that prompt and seamless delivery of benefits is key to building public confidence in government programmes. He instructed the officials to ensure timely extension of scheme benefits to all eligible individuals, stating that such efficiency would encourage more citizens to come forward and take advantage of these schemes.
The Chief Secretary laid focus on integration of the Registrar of Births & Deaths database with the Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) system. He emphasised that this integration would streamline the accrual of benefits, such as insurance claims and pension settlements, reducing delays and ensuring efficient service delivery.
Further, he called upon the departments to intensify the ongoing outreach campaign, reaching every household with accurate information on available schemes. He noted that increased awareness among the citizens is essential for enhancing participation and making financial inclusion truly universal in J&K.
The review meeting assessed the significant progress made under various financial and social inclusion schemes. He highlighted the substantial impact of initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) in bringing financial security and empowerment to the region’s populace.
Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D.Vaidya, while giving insights about the overall scenario of these social security schemes, made out that the Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojana (PMJDY) is the foundation of financial inclusion. About its penetration in the UT, it was revealed that Kathua leads with 92.74% achievement against its 2024-25 target for new accounts, followed by Bandipora at 71.08%.
Overall, the region achieved 46.75% of its annual target for 2024-25, with 21.45 lakh cumulative accounts as of March 31, 2025. In terms of enrollment against the 2011 Census Population, Samba district shows the highest PMJDY account penetration at 31%, followed by Reasi and Baramulla at 24% each.
With respect to the PMSBY which provides affordable accidental insurance, the enrollment has shown remarkable growth, increasing by 168% to 23.57 lakh in the last five years. The total premium paid as of 2024-25 stands at Rs 13.55 Cr, with claims disbursed amounting Rs 18.39 crore.
The meeting was further informed that overall, the region has achieved 116.16% of its PMSBY enrolment target for 2024-25, reaching a cumulative achievement of 23.56 lakh since inception till March 31, 2025. Jammu district has the highest cumulative enrollment since inception, with 5,80,112 beneficiaries.
A total of 1,123 claims have been received since inception, with 930 settled, disbursing Rs18.39 Cr. J&K Bank leads in claims settled against premium collected, with 204% achievement.
As far as PMJJBY is concerned, it was said to offer an affordable life insurance cover of Rs2 lakh upon death due to any cause. Regarding the enrolment in PMJJBY, it was revealed that Kishtwar and Kupwara districts have achieved over 170% and 140% of their PMJJBY enrolment targets in 2024-25, respectively. The total achievement for 2024-25 stood at 94.89% of the annual target, with cumulative enrollment reaching 9.66 lakh since inception till March 31, 2025. Jammu district has the highest cumulative enrollment under PMJJBY, with 2,33,455 beneficiaries.
Out of 2,996 claims received since inception, 2,296 have been settled, disbursing Rs45.90 crore. Again J&K Bank had processed the highest number of claims.
The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) provides a guaranteed monthly pension of Rs1,000 to Rs 5,000 after 60 years of age for workers in the unorganized sector. The enrolment has seen a significant increase of 148% in the last five years, reaching 2.48 lakh beneficiaries.
In 2024-25, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts have achieved 64.57% and 64.39% of their annual enrollment targets, respectively. Overall, the region has achieved 40.52% of its APY enrollment target for 2024-25, with a cumulative enrollment of 2.48 lakh as of March 31, 2025. Samba district has the highest APY enrollment against the 2011 Census population at 5.8%, followed by Jammu at 5.4%.
These schemes collectively underscore the government’s commitment towards fostering comprehensive financial and social inclusion, ensuring a more secure and prosperous future for the citizens of the UT.