Shimla: Even as Himachal Pradesh’s per capita income continues to rise and the state climbs to the sixth position among India’s wealthiest regions, a surprising trend has emerged—residents have forgotten about more than ₹352 crore lying untouched in bank accounts for over a decade. Banks have now transferred this entire amount to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which has begun a statewide campaign to locate the rightful owners.
According to information compiled under RBI directives, the total unclaimed amount stands at ₹352.52 crore, spread across 10,77,428 inactive accounts, including personal accounts, current accounts, and fixed deposits. The most striking detail is that ₹311 crore of this sum lies in personal savings accounts alone, with no withdrawals or transactions recorded for the past ten years.
The trend is particularly pronounced in Mandi district, where residents have left more than ₹39.59 crore unclaimed across 1,38,176 accounts. All figures have been compiled up to August 31, 2025, revealing how widespread inactive and forgotten accounts have become in the hill state.
Wealth Rising, Accounts Forgotten
The phenomenon comes at a time when Himachal Pradesh’s per capita income has surpassed ₹2.57 lakh for the financial year 2024–25, marking a 9.6% increase from the previous year’s figure of ₹2,34,782, according to the state’s Economic Survey 2024–25. In contrast, the national average per capita income stands significantly lower at ₹1,14,710.
With this growth, Himachal has secured the sixth position among Indian states and union territories in terms of income, with a per capita figure of ₹1,63,465 among the top 10 regions. Officials believe this economic rise may have contributed to people losing track of old accounts and deposits.
RBI Steps In to Trace Owners
All unclaimed deposits have now been moved into the Deposit Education Awareness Fund (DEAF) held by the RBI. If an account holder or legal heir comes forward, the concerned bank verifies the claim and returns the amount, after which it recovers the sum from the RBI.
To help citizens reclaim their forgotten money, the RBI has launched a comprehensive outreach initiative across Himachal Pradesh. Banks are conducting awareness camps from October to November to guide residents through the claim process.
The central bank has also introduced the UTR–ORIGIN portal, designed to help individuals trace unclaimed deposits linked to their identity across multiple banks.
Officials have urged residents to check their old bank accounts, passbooks, fixed deposits and accounts held by deceased family members, noting that substantial sums can still be recovered with proper documentation.
