Many women visit banks for the 1st time

Rashmi, 35, deposited money in a bank for the first time in her life on Friday, thanks to the demonetization drive that left her with only invalid currency.

"I opened a bank account under the government's Jan-Dhan Yojana last year but never used it. Today, after standing in a queue for almost three hours, I deposited Rs 35,000 in the account," said Rashmi, who works as a domestic helper in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj area.

Several other women like Rashmi, who used to keep their savings at home even though they had bank accounts, have come forward to use bank services in the last 10 days. "When I heard on TV about the government's decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, I panicked as I had saved Rs 55,000 in cash," said Seema, 32, who sells fancy artificial jewellery at Lajpat Nagar market.

Seema also had an empty Jan-Dhan account till Thursday. "This was the first time that I got the opportunity to visit a bank. I felt really happy," she said.

The world of a 40-year-old widow, who requested to remain anonymous, also turned upside down after she heard the news on note ban. "I had saved Rs 45,000 for my daughter's wedding. After hearing the news, I became really anxious. On Thursday, I visited the bank for the first time and deposited money in my Jan-Dhan account," she said.

Meanwhile, according to a State Bank of India (SBI) official, several thousands of empty Jan-Dhan accounts have been flooded with cash in the last 10 days. He also confirmed that most of these account-holders were women. "After the government's demonetization move, more and more women are coming forward to deposit money in their dormant bank accounts," he said.