‘Your money, your right’: Sitharaman urges citizens to reclaim funds

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday inaugurated a three-month nationwide awareness campaign, ‘Aapki Punji, Aapka Adhikar’ (Your Money, Your Right), aimed at helping citizens trace and claim unclaimed financial assets such as deposits, insurance payouts, dividends, shares, and mutual fund proceeds.

At the launch, Sitharaman handed over cheques and claim orders to citizens who had successfully reclaimed their money, urging everyone to become ambassadors of the initiative. She highlighted the importance of the three "A"s - Awareness, Access, and Action, for the campaign’s success. “If these are fulfilled, the money lying in safe custody can be rightfully claimed by people with proper documents,” she said.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance, she noted that the campaign brings the initiative directly to the people, with Gujarat leading the effort. Sitharaman s tressed collective participation, calling upon the Finance Ministry, regulators, state governments, and banks to ensure that ever y citizen can reclaim their money.

The campaign is being implemented by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the RBI, IRDAI, SEBI, and the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA). It aims to strengthen financial inclusion by providing citizens clear guidance on tracing and claiming their rightful money, supported by Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and FAQs to simplify the process.

Officials believe the initiative will empower citizens, enabling them, or their legal heirs, to access funds lying unclaimed for years, while encouraging active participation and financial awareness across the country.