(a) whether the LIC, various nationalised banks and Post Offices have a provision to pay interest @ 9% on the deposits made by senior citizens;
(b) if so, the total number of persons who are availing the interest @ 9% on the deposits made by senior citizens, State-wise;
(c) whether the Government has made arrangements to encourage senior citizens for making deposits and to make them aware of higher interest rates being provided by the Government; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI S.S. PALANIMANICKAM)
(a)&(b) A Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, bearing interest at
the rate of nine per cent per annum, has been introduced by the
Government through designated post offices and branches of public
sector banks. All senior citizens of 60 years of age and above
and retired persons of 55 years of age and above but less than
60 years, can subscribe to the scheme. The total number of
accounts in post offices as on 31.01.2005, Circle wise is annexed.
(c) & (d) The scheme received wide publicity through the Budget
Speech on 8th July, 2004, and subsequent press releases. The
scheme is displayed on the official web- site of the Ministry of Finance,
and is promoted through the National Savings Institute, Nagpur, State
Governments and agents of various small savings schemes of the Central
Government.
ANNEXURE
CIRCLE WISE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS IN POST OFFICES UNDER
`SENIOR CITIZENS SAVINGS SCHEME AS ON 31ST JANUARY, 2005`
Sl. No. Name of Circle Number of Accounts 1 Andhra Pradesh 10611 2 Assam 515 3 Bihar 1224 4 Chhattisgarh 2221 5 Delhi 39792 6 Gujarat 22614 7 Haryana 5137 8 Himachal Pradesh 1621 9 Jammu and Kashmir 672 10 Jharkhanad 1416 11 Karnataka 19262 12 Kerala 10954 13 Madhya Pradesh 4701 14 Maharashtra 51281 15 North-East 162 16 Orissa 1893 17 Punjab 10852 18 Rajasthan 9793 19 Tamil Nadu 30540 20 Uttar Pradesh 24319 21 Uttaranchal 2345 22 West Bengal 24085 23 Army Postal Service 73
TOTAL 276083