The West Bengal government's Annapurna Yojana portal will officially launch on June 1, 2026, marking the beginning of online applications for the financial assistance scheme. According to the latest notification from the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department issued on May 19, the portal will accommodate new applicants for the scheme aimed at providing financial assistance to women from economically weaker sections of society. The notification states that for new applicants, online application facility shall be launched in the Annapurna Yojana Portal with effect from 1st June, 2026. Applicants must fill out and submit the application form online, with documents such as Aadhaar Card, bank account details and a passport-size photograph required to ensure a smooth and timely application process.
The West Bengal government has initiated a large-scale beneficiary verification and database-cleaning exercise ahead of the June 1, 2026 rollout of the Annapurna Yojana. According to official orders from the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, district administrations across the state have been instructed to complete verification before the scheme officially launches. The verification process must be completed by May 25, with district-wise progress reports being submitted to the Chief Secretary every evening as monitoring is carried out at the highest level. District Magistrates will act as sanctioning authorities for applicants residing in districts, while the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner will approve applications within KMC limits. A separate order from Block Development Officer of Swarupnagar in North 24 Parganas has directed gram panchayat officials and booth-level officers to conduct door-to-door verification on priority. The government has decided to extensively utilise BLOs in coordination with block offices and field-level officials for the verification process, with officials instructed to ensure that Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of beneficiaries are properly updated on the portal to facilitate direct benefit transfer.
The scheme targets women aged 25 to 60 years who are permanent residents of West Bengal and belong to low-income or Economically Weaker Section (EWS) families. According to the latest notification, the applicant must not be engaged in any permanent government employment or receiving a regular salary or pension from the Union or West Bengal government, any statutory body, government undertaking, panchayat, municipal body or local authority. The applicant should also not be employed in a teaching or non-teaching role in any government-aided educational institution in West Bengal and should not be an income tax payer. Women must hold a BPL, AAY or PHH ration card and meet specific income criteria. The government has established a dedicated online portal that will go live on June 1, 2026, allowing new applicants to apply for the scheme. Fresh applicants will be verified by government or Kolkata civic body officials according to their residential status, with the government stating that all existing beneficiaries of 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme shall be migrated to the Annapurna Yojana except the dead, shifted, deleted and absentee electors identified during SIR-2026.
The Government of West Bengal has officially notified the Annapurna Yojana, which will replace the existing Lakshmir Bhandar programme for monthly financial assistance to women. According to reports from Mint, the scheme will provide ₹3,000 monthly assistance to eligible women, representing a significant increase from the previous Lakshmir Bhandar scheme that offered ₹1,500 to ₹1,700 monthly depending on category. Minister Agnimitra Paul announced that the cabinet has approved the scheme, with implementation scheduled to begin from June 1, 2026. The proposed ₹3,000 monthly assistance is significantly higher than the benefits currently offered under Lakshmir Bhandar, with officials stating the increased financial support could help women manage rising household expenses including groceries, healthcare, children's education, electricity bills and daily necessities more independently. The government has announced that final registration guidelines and official application form will be released closer to the portal launch date.
The assistance amount will be credited through the Direct Benefit Transfer system to Aadhaar card-linked bank accounts in the name of beneficiaries. According to the notification from the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department, existing beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will be automatically transferred to the Annapurna Yojana, with exceptions for specified categories including deceased, shifted, duplicate, deleted or absentee electors identified during SIR-2026. Beneficiaries who have filed appeals before SIR tribunal or applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue receiving financial assistance until disposal of their pleas. Officials have been directed to ensure that beneficiary bank accounts are properly Aadhaar-seeded and updated on the portal before payments begin. The government has also announced that an online application portal will be launched on June 1 to accommodate new applicants for the scheme.
The scheme also includes free travel for women in government-run buses from next month, as announced by Minister Agnimitra Paul. The online application portal for new applicants will support beneficiary authentication, correction of records, application tracking, DBT payment updates and database rationalisation. The notification clarifies that names of deceased and shifted beneficiaries will be deleted on a regular basis in the future. As reported by Mint, the scheme represents a substantial increase in financial support for women in West Bengal, with the ₹3,000 monthly allowance significantly higher than the previous scheme's ₹1,500 monthly allowance. The government has announced that final registration guidelines and official application form will be released closer to the portal launch date.
