New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to ensure account holders of banks coming under moratorium will get up to Rs 5 lakh within 90 days of imposing the moratorium from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
The bill was passed with a voice vote amid uproar by Opposition parties over various issues, including Pegasus snooping row and new farm laws.
Replying to a brief debate on the DICGC (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the legislation will benefit the small depositors, including those of the PMC Bank.
The benefits will also accrue to the depositors of 23 cooperative banks, which are in financial stress and on which RBI has imposed some restrictions, she said.
The interest of the small depositors will have to be kept in mind for whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased the insurance amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, and within 90 days of the moratorium being applied and also for all those who are already under stress, this money will be available, the minister said.
“This is a very important bill, which will benefit small depositors who have been waiting for a very long time… PMC Bank is a classic example, they have been waiting… should they not get deposit insurance?,” she said amid the din.
The minister also accused the Opposition of disrupting the House proceedings and not participating in the discussion of important bills.
Referring to the protests against the farm laws, Sitharaman said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is willing to talk on the issue but the Opposition was not willing for discussions.
“… this shows they are not interested in solution and they only want to raise the issue here as an excuse for not participating or allowing other to participate in the discussion which is really a sad day for us,” she said.
—PTI

Press Trust of India