RAJYASABHA QUESTION REGARDING SSA
GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA
MINISTRY
OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT
OF POSTS
RAJYA
SABHA
UNSTARRED
QUESTION NO.1450
TO
BE ANSWERED ON 8TH MAY, 2015
SAVINGS
ACCOUNTS FOR GIRL CHILD
1450. SHRI
RAJKUMAR
DHOOT:
Will the Minister of
COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased
to state:
(a) whether the
Ministry proposes to open one crore savings accounts for girl child in
Maharashtra and rest of the country;
(b) if so, the
details thereof; and
(c) how these
accounts will be beneficial to the girl child?
ANSWER
THE
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI
SHANKAR PRASAD)
(a), (b) & (c) A
new Small Savings Scheme called "Sukanya Samriddhi Account" for the
welfare of Girl Child has been launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 22nd
January, 2015 in Panipat, Haryana. The account can be opened in Post
Offices as
well as in banks. With an aim to spread awareness and to provide benefit
of
such a good scheme to more and more number of girl child, the Department
of
Posts set target to open one crore Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts in the
country,
including Maharashtra. So far, more than 38 Lakhs accounts have been
opened in
different Post Office. The details of the scheme and facilities provided
in
these accounts which will be beneficial to the girl child are at Annexure-I.
ANNEXURE-I
i. ‘Sukanya
Samriddhi
Account’ is a new Small Savings Scheme for girl child.
ii.
An account can be opened in the
name of Girl Child under ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ (SSA) by
Guardian/Natural
Guardian. Birth certificate of the girl child has to be produced. The
depositor
(parents or guardian) has to submit his/her identity and address proofs.
iii.
A Guardian can open only one
account in the name of one girl child and maximum two accounts in the
name of
two different girl children. The natural or legal guardian can open two
or
three accounts if twin girls are born as second birth or triplets are
born in the
first birth itself.
iv.
An account under SSA can be
opened up to the age of 10 years only from the date of birth. The girl
child
who had attained the age of 10 years, one year prior to the commencement
of
this scheme shall also eligible to open the SSA.
v.
Minimum amount for opening SSA
is Rs 1000/- (subsequent deposit should be in multiple of Rs 100/-).
vi.
A minimum of one thousand
rupees shall be deposited in a financial year but the total money
deposited in
an account on a single occasion or on multiple occasions shall not
exceed Rs
1.5 Lakh in a financial year.
vii.
There is no limit on the number
of deposits. The deposits in ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ can be made in
the
form of Cash or Demand Draft or Cheque.
viii.
The interest rate for the
financial year 2015-16 under ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ is 9.2%. The
rate of
interest is not fixed and will be notified by the Central Government on
financial yearly basis.
ix.
50% (half of the fund) of the
accumulated amount in ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ can be withdrawn for
girl’s higher
education and marriage after she attains 18 years of age.
x.
‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ can
be closed after completion of 21 years.
xi.
If account is not closed after
maturity, balance will continue to earn interest as specified for the
scheme
from time to time.
xii.
The account can be transferred
anywhere in India if the girl shifts to a place other than city or
locality
where the account stands.
xiii.
Investment in Sukanya Samriddhi
Account has been covered under Section 80C of
IT Act.