The Government of West Bengal has achieved massive success in the first phase of the 'Annapurna Yojana' scheme, with 2.825 million verified beneficiaries enrolled over the past three days as of Wednesday. According to Business Standard, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the first phase of fund transfers will begin on June 1, 2026, with eligible women beneficiaries receiving ₹3,000 directly in their bank accounts. The stipulated financial aid will be credited directly to the Aadhaar-linked bank account in the beneficiary's name via Direct Benefit Transfer, beginning June 1, 2026. The scheme has been introduced by the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare for the socio-economic upliftment of women in the state, marking a significant increase from the previous Lakshmir Bhandar scheme.
Beneficiaries must ensure their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts are updated to avoid issues with payments under the new scheme. According to Business Standard, the government has released a 12-page application form that needs to be filled by the applicant and verified by officials before enrolment. The Annapurna Bhandar Application form is available on the scheme's portal or at Nabanna from May 27, 2026, with forms available in English, Bengali and Hindi. Applicants will be required to provide personal, household and financial information including Aadhaar number, date of birth, family and household details, digital ration card-linked household ID, address and contact information, bank account details, voter ID details, PAN information, employment status, annual family income details, and information relating to tax payments. Those who are unable to fill out the form either online or offline need not worry, as the BJP will organize public welfare camps on June 15-17, 2026 to assist people with the application process.
For verification of applicants, government officials authorized for the purpose will carry out enquiry ward by ward, with MLAs extending their cooperation. Block Development Officers (BDOs) in rural areas and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) in urban areas will recommend the list of eligible applicants online to the District Magistrate for sanction. In areas within Kolkata Municipal Corporation jurisdiction, this process will be completed by officers of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The enquiry report of sanctioned cases will be uploaded at the Annapurna Yojana portal. Applications will not be approved solely on the basis of self-declared information, instead authorities will conduct scrutiny and field-level verification before final approval is granted. The additional checks are intended to reduce inclusion errors and ensure that benefits are directed towards eligible households.
The government has announced that fresh applications will continue to be accepted and all eligible beneficiaries would be covered under the scheme after verification over the next three months. According to Business Standard, CM Suvendu Adhikari said the government would hold periodic briefings every seven days to inform people about the number of verified beneficiaries and newly enrolled recipients. The chief minister emphasized that "As forms are received and verification is completed, ₹3,000 will be transferred to the beneficiaries' accounts. Our target is to ensure that every eligible woman receives the benefit." The scheme represents one of the largest cash-support initiatives for women in West Bengal, combining a substantially higher monthly benefit with tighter eligibility filters to balance welfare expansion with targeted delivery.
