West Bengal government to roll out Annapurna scheme with monthly aid of 3,000 rupees for women from June 1
The West Bengal Government has notified the ‘Annapurna Yojana’ to provide assured monthly financial assistance of three thousand rupees to women for their socio-economic upliftment. The scheme, introduced by the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, will come into effect from 1st June 2026.
Under the scheme, financial assistance will be transferred directly to the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
To qualify for the scheme, women must be aged between 25 and 60 years, should not be income tax payers, and must not hold permanent government employment or receive a regular salary or pension from the state or central government, statutory bodies, panchayats, municipalities, local bodies, or government-aided educational institutions.
Under the new order, all existing beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme will be automatically migrated to the Annapurna Yojana. However, individuals identified as deceased, shifted, deleted, or listed as absentee electors during the SIR-2026 exercise, or flagged during voter slip distribution, will be excluded. Beneficiaries who have filed appeals before the SIR Tribunal or submitted applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue to receive financial assistance until their applications are legally disposed of.
For new applicants, an online portal for the Annapurna Yojana will be launched on 1st June 2026. All fresh applications will undergo verification and enquiry by authorised government officials, including Block Development Officers (BDOs) in rural areas, Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) in urban areas, and officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation within its jurisdiction.
The respective District Magistrates and the KMC Commissioner will serve as the final sanctioning authorities in their respective jurisdictions, and verified reports will be uploaded directly to the online portal.
