Postal dept aims to open 30K SSY units in city by March 31

Tirupati: The central government’s scheme Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015 as part of the ‘Beti Bacho Beti Padhao’ campaign so far witnessed 1.13 crore accounts in post offices only that were opened in the country during its three-year period.

This small deposit scheme was aimed at benefitting the girl child. In Tirupati, however there was lukewarm response from the people as the Postal department could manage to open only 2,000 accounts under SSY in the last three years.

In Tirupati Postal Division, about 30,000 accounts were opened, said the Superintendent of Post Offices G Srinivasa Murthy. With a view to take the scheme forward in a big way in the current fiscal, the entire postal division organised a rally in Tirupati from Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) branch post office to head post office on Wednesday. The rally was flagged off by SVU Rector Prof M Bhaskar.

Speaking to The Hans India, Post Master General (Kurnool region) T Srilatha has said, “As the scheme has completed three years, we have planned to cover every girl child in the city during the special campaign and mobilise at least 30,000 accounts before March 31. About 10 special teams were formed which will take up door-to-door campaign in the city.

Focus will be laid also on Public Provident Fund (PPF) accounts which are very useful for boys”. The Postal department has set a target of opening 30,000 accounts before March 31 in the temple city. They want to cover 30,000 girl children from the total of 50,000.  The account can be opened with an initial deposit of Rs 1,000 and in multiples of Rs 100 with minimum deposit of Rs 1,000 in a financial year with a maximum ceiling of Rs 1.5 lakh which can be deposited in instalments in the year.

It can be opened anytime between the birth of a girl child till she attains the age of 10 and deposits can be made till completion of 15 years. The account reaches maturity after time period of 21 years from the date of opening of the account. The deposits attract an interest rate of 8.1 per cent. The interest will be calculated on yearly basis and provides Income Tax benefit.

Above all, the account can be opened in any post office or authorised branches of commercial banks. A parent can open only one account for one girl child with a maximum of two accounts for two girl children and to meet the requirement of higher education expenses of girl child. A partial withdrawal of 50 per cent of the balance is allowed after she turns 18.

By V Pradeep Kumar