Govt Discloses Data on Aadhaar-PAN Fines, GST Return Filing Delays and Bank Service Charges

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, has responded to some questions raised in Lok Sabha concerning the revenue generated from the penalties imposed on late-filed GST returns.

The following are questions asked by Shri Ramprit Madal in the Lok Sabha:

“Question 1: The total revenue earned by the Government through the fines collected from the public on account of the delay in linking Aadhaar with PAN during the last three years;
Question 2: The total amount of money collected by the government as penalties imposed for delay in filing of GST returns during the last four years; and
Question 3: “What is the amount of money received by the nationalised banks from charges levied for non-maintenance of minimum balance in accounts and for providing SMS facilities during the last three years, bank-wise?”

Shri Pankaj Chaudhary has given the following answers to the questions asked:

Answer 1: In answer to the first question, the finance minister has clarified that in this financial year, 2025-26, no penalty at all has been collected from the public on the grounds of delays in linking their Aadhaar with PAN. Here is the data of the fee collected on accounts of the delayed linked Aadhaar with PAN from the last three financial years:

Answer 2: In answer to the second question, the finance minister has clarified that no penalty was set this financial year for the late filing of GST returns. Here is the data on fees collected from earlier financial years:

Answer 3: Banks provide zero-balance savings accounts such as Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDAs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts. In these types of accounts, customers are not required to maintain any minimum balance. Basic banking services are also offered in these types of accounts, like depositing money, withdrawing money, and using ATMs free of cost, and no penalty is charged for keeping the account empty.

For regular savings accounts, public sector banks have reduced or changed minimum balance charges based on their internal policies and business decisions to make them more friendly to the customers. If any charges are applied, they must follow bank policies approved by their board and the rules of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). RBI requires that these charges be reasonable, clear, and based on the cost of services.

The details of charges collected by nationalised banks for not maintaining a minimum balance and for SMS services in the last three years are provided below: