AFTER COMING IN POWER LAST MONTH, the BJP government in West Bengal has launched the promised Annapurna Bhandar Yojana, which gives a monthly benefit of ₹3,000 to eligible women. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated the scheme yesterday on June 3, 2026.

The beneficiaries can join the program virtually from the setups at their respective block municipal and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) levels. A government official said yesterday that 100 beneficiaries from each block have received sanction letters, with more to follow. 

Sub-divisional officers (SDOs) and block-divisional officers (BDOs) are incharge to identify these beneficiaries with final approval coming from district magistrate and KMC commissioner. It was announced that MLAs will also be present at their respective areas overseeing the implementation is carried out fairly.

The government claims 28,25,769 women have been approved to receive the ₹3,000 monthly benefit from the scheme. After the due process, the money will be transferred to the eligible beneficiary’s bank account through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) System. The registration is open for the next 90 days.

The monthly allowance is almost double of what the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar Yojana offered. TMC’s scheme gave benefits of ₹1,500 to General and ₹1,700 to SC/ST women. On the other hand, BJP’s Annapurna Bhandar Yojana offers the same allowance to all women irrespective of their caste. However, due to strict vetting and restricted criteria the eligible beneficiaries for BJP’s scheme are seven times lower than TMC’s scheme which used to benefit 2.2 crore women.

Agnimitra Paul, Minister of Women and Child Development, said that the women who were beneficiaries of the old Lakshmir Bhandar Yojana will have to register again for BJP’s scheme to avail benefits. She claims there will be no carry-overs and a fresh application process is required, alleging corruption in the implementation of the TMC scheme.

Yesterday, five beneficiaries from Nabana received cheques from CM Adhikari to symbolize the launch of the new program.

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The BJP government in West Bengal has set up the new eligibility criteria different from Lakshmir Bhandar Yojana. It is as follows:

1. The beneficiary must be a female between 25 and 60 years of age.

2. She should not be a government employee.

3. She should not be an active recipient of government salary or pension.

4. She should not be an income tax-payer.

If you fall under the mention criteria follow the following steps to apply for the scheme:

1. Visit the official Social Security Portal (https://socialregistry.wb.gov.in/).

2. Either download or access the application form available on the site.

3. Keep the details of the Aadhar-linked bank account and other documents readily available

4. Fill the personal details carefully.

5. Submit the form online or at the designated office.

6. Save the acknowledgement number for future reference.

If you have filled out your form and still waiting for the benefits, follow the instructions to check your status:

1. Visit the official Social Security Portal (https://socialregistry.wb.gov.in/)

2. Click on ‘Track Application Status’ option.

3. You can enter the application ID, Aadhar Number or registered mobile number here.

4. Check what is the latest status of you application and payment

If you are facing delays or difficulties availing benefits check that your details are correct. The Government has emphasized that the benefits will be transferred via DBT system only to the bank account linked to your Aadhar.

Existing beneficiaries of Lakshmir Bhandar Yojana will be required to fill out the 12-page form for the BJP scheme. You have the next 90 days to register for the program at the nearest Block Municipal or Kolkata Municipal Corporation Office.

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