KOCHI: Pauline Rose Matthai, 83, the former principal of Government Law College, Ernakulam, who joined the central government’s Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for her granddaughter in 2015, has suddenly found that the account has been frozen.

The scheme ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’ is an initiative for the welfare of girl children under the age of 10.

Pauline has now been told that she will receive no interest for her deposits made over nine years. The reason: only the legal guardian/parent of the child is allowed to hold the account.

“I have deposited money in the account regularly for nine years now, and was never informed about such a rule all these years,” Pauline said.

She had opened an account at the Changampuzha Nagar Post Office in the name of her granddaughter, Zarina Deepu Khan. This year, when she went to pay the yearly deposit as usual in the month of April, she was informed that her account had been frozen.

As she filed an online complaint in a Dak Adalat, she was informed that only the amount she paid would be refunded on closing the account, without any interest. She said the scheme owes her an amount of Rs 2,21,094, including over Rs 1 lakh in interest.

Pauline also added that she has since presented the issue in front of the postmaster general of the southern division, and is awaiting a positive response.

“Else, I will move legally,” she said.