Is Jan Dhan money actually reaching people?

Soon after the nationwide lockdown was enforced due to COVID-19, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that all account holders under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) (also known as Jan Dhan account, or JD account) would receive cash transfers of INR 500 every month, for three months. It was reported that in April, more than 20 crore accounts had received the transfer. This month, the disbursal for the second instalment started on May 4th and will be staggered over five days to avoid overcrowding at banks.

However, there have also been reports of problems in accessing the money, especially in remote areas. To get more clarity about the situation on the ground regarding cash transfers to JD accounts and withdrawal by account holders, the Rapid Community Response to COVID-19 (RCRC) coalition conducted a rapid assessment survey.