Bengal Launches Annapurna Yojana with Rs 3,000 Monthly Assistance

MP, May 21, 2026, Kolkata : The state Women and Child Development department has issued a notification introducing the “Annapurna Yojana”, under which women residing in West Bengal will receive assured monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000 from June 1.

According to the notification, women engaged in permanent government employment and drawing regular salary or pension under the Union or State government, statutory bodies, government undertakings, panchayats, municipal bodies and local bodies will not be eligible under the scheme.

Teaching and non-teaching staff of state government-aided educational institutions, as well as income tax payers, have also been excluded from the beneficiary list.

The notification stated that all existing beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme would be migrated to the Annapurna Yojana, except dead, shifted, deleted and absentee (ASDD) electors identified during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Beneficiaries who have filed appeals before the SIR Tribunal or submitted applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue to receive financial assistance under the new scheme till disposal of their applications.

The financial assistance will be transferred directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

For new applicants, an online application facility will be launched through the Annapurna Yojana portal from June 1, 2026.

Applications submitted under the scheme will be verified by authorised government officials. After enquiry and verification, Block Development Officers (BDOs) in rural areas and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) in urban areas will recommend eligible applicants online to the District Magistrate for sanction.

Within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, the process will be carried out by KMC officials.

District Magistrates will act as sanctioning authorities in districts, while the KMC Commissioner will serve as the sanctioning authority in the KMC area.