Annapurna Yojana Rollout Begins in Bengal: How Women Can Apply for the ₹3,000 Monthly Assistance Scheme

West Bengal Begins Annapurna Yojana Enrolment Process

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) announced that the enrolment process for the Annapurna Yojana, the State government's newly introduced financial assistance programme for women, will begin from Wednesday (May 27, 2026).

Speaking after an administrative review meeting in Kalyani, Mr. Adhikari stated that the distribution of application forms for the scheme would officially commence from May 27.

₹3,000 Monthly Financial Assistance for Eligible Women

Under the Annapurna Yojana, eligible women will receive financial assistance of ₹3,000 per month through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

The State government clarified that the existing Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will continue until the Annapurna Yojana is fully implemented.

"Like we are continuing Swasthya Sathi till its conversion to Ayushman Bharat is complete, similarly, until the Annapurna Yojana is fully rolled out, Lakshmir Bhandar will continue. From tomorrow, the process for Annapurna Yojana begins," Mr. Adhikari said.

According to the Chief Minister, the official application form for the scheme will be released from Nabanna on Wednesday evening in the presence of Minister Agnimitra Paul.

The application forms will be available through both online and offline channels to ensure broader accessibility across the State.

"I, along with Minister Agnimitra Paul, will be publishing a form for Annapurna Yojana from Nabanna tomorrow in the presence of the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary. Detailed guidelines will also be announced," he said.

Registration and Verification Process

Mr. Adhikari said that beneficiaries will begin receiving financial assistance after the completion of registration and verification procedures.

"As and when forms are filled up, ₹3,000 will start getting credited into beneficiaries’ accounts. The faster people complete registration, the faster they will receive benefits," he said.

The government also announced support mechanisms to assist applicants during the registration process.

MLAs and district-level administrative teams working under Block Development Officers will assist applicants in form filling and documentation procedures.

"People will not be left entirely on their own. MLAs will help beneficiaries fill out forms, while teams under Block Development Officers will go door-to-door to assist applicants," he added.

Beneficiary Verification and Database Cleansing Exercise

Ahead of the scheme's formal launch on June 1, the State government has initiated a large-scale verification and database rationalisation exercise to identify eligible beneficiaries and remove invalid entries.

Officials stated that all existing Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries will be migrated to Annapurna Yojana except individuals identified as deceased, shifted, deleted, absentee electors, or those categorised as ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate).

The Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department has instructed district administrations to complete the verification exercise within the designated timeline.

Authorities have also been directed to update Aadhaar-linked bank account information on the official portal to enable seamless DBT transfers.

Dedicated Portal and Eligibility Criteria

The State government is developing a dedicated online portal for beneficiary verification, correction of records, and database management.

Officials stated that district-wise monitoring reports are being submitted to the Chief Secretary daily to ensure timely completion of the exercise.

Under the announced criteria, women between the ages of 25 and 60 years will be eligible for the ₹3,000 monthly assistance.

Applicants must satisfy the following conditions:

• Must be between 25 and 60 years of age
• Must not be permanent government employees
• Must not be pension recipients
• Must not be income taxpayers
• Must have Aadhaar-linked bank accounts registered in their own name

The government has also confirmed that a dedicated online application portal for fresh applicants will become operational from June 1.

New applications will be verified by authorised government officials or Kolkata Municipal Corporation authorities depending on the applicant's residential location.