TNCC president Manickam Tagore opposes proposed charges on Jan Dhan account withdrawals

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president B. Manickam Tagore expressed strong opposition on August 22, 2026, to proposed charges on withdrawals from Jan Dhan account holders. According to Mr. Tagore, the Union government plans to impose a ₹15 fee, plus 18% GST, on withdrawals from basic savings accounts that exceed four per month, including via ATMs.

The State Bank of India has announced the charge will amount to ₹17.70 per transaction, set to start October 1. Tagore claimed the Reserve Bank of India approved the move, and other banks could follow suit. He argued that basic banking accounts for the poor were introduced in 2005 under the Manmohan Singh government's No Frills Account initiative, later renamed Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana by the BJP-led government.

Of roughly 56 crore accounts, about 53 crore were opened through public sector banks. Tagore criticized the government's approach to digital payments, alleging the proposed charges could force those without reliable internet or electricity back to cash transactions. Despite the government's push for digital transactions since demonetisation in 2016, cash circulation has risen from ₹9 lakh crore in January 2017 to ₹43 lakh crore currently.

Tagore further alleged that banks had waived ₹16 lakh crore in loans for large business groups over the past decade while seeking to impose fees on withdrawals by poor account holders.