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‘Future of daughters’: PM Modi hails opening of 10 lakh Sukanya Samridhi Accounts in 2 days
A total of 10,90,000 Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts were opened at more than 1 lakh post offices across India in just two days, on February 9 and 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister for railways, communications, electronics and information technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday hailed the opening of over 10 lakh Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts across the country in just two days noting that this would secure the future of the country’s daughters.
The Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme is a long-term saving scheme for a girl child and aims to encourage parents to build a fund for future education and marriage expenses of their daughters.
A special awareness drive was initiated from February 1 to 8 by India Post with an aim to open 7.5 Lakh Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence) and the beginning of the Modi government’s flagship scheme Amrit Kaal.
As a result, in two days, on February 9 and 10, a total of 10,90,000 Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts were opened at more than 1 lakh post offices across India.
PM Modi, in a tweet, said, “Many congratulations to @IndiaPostOffice for this great achievement.This effort will secure the future of the country’s daughters and make them more empowered.”
Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Dedicated to the future of the country’s daughters... Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s ‘Amrit’ gift. In two days, more than 10 lakh Sukanya Samriddhi accounts through India Post.”
The Sukanya Samriddhi Account is opened in the name of a girl child till the child attains the age of 10 years and the account can be opened in post offices and notified branches of commercial banks. A deposit of up to ₹1.5 lakh is permitted during a financial year, although the initial deposit can be as low as ₹250, which is also the minimum prescribed during a fiscal year.
The accounts mature after the girl reaches the age of 21 years or at the time of marriage of the girl in whose name the account has been opened.
India Post noted that on an average annually 33 lakh Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts are opened. In the last eight years, a total of 2.7 crore accounts have been opened.
