Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an 'Annapurna Divas' event virtually on Thursday, emphasizing the government's commitment to ensuring no eligible woman is deprived of the scheme's benefits. According to Business Standard, Modi stated that "within a few days of forming our government in Bengal, work began on the Annapurna Yojana. Today, many women receive financial assistance directly into their bank accounts." The Prime Minister highlighted that "there are no middlemen and no 'cut money'" under the scheme, with the government working relentlessly to achieve this goal. Modi described the scheme as "a significant support for them" and noted that "the women of Bengal should have both the power to make decisions and the courage to move forward." Addressing a programme in Salt Lake, Kolkata, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that Modi's birthday on September 17 will be observed as 'Annapurna Divas' in the state every year, as the ₹3,000 monthly assistance under the scheme was guaranteed by him.
On September 17, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, ₹3,000 was credited to eligible women under the Annapurna Yojana. According to reports from Mint and Pratidin, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed that approximately 1.58 crore women are set to receive the benefit this month, representing nearly 10 lakh more beneficiaries than in August. The number of beneficiaries under the scheme has shown steady growth, rising from 28 lakh in June to 1.19 crore in July, then further increasing in August before the latest expansion. As reported by Mint, the state government transferred money to 1.58 crore beneficiaries on the occasion of his birthday, with payments made on a priority basis to all women meeting eligibility criteria. Eligible women between 25 and 60 years of age will receive the money, with the government ensuring that "last month, questions were raised about many eligible women not receiving the money. Now, women in rural areas having more than three rooms will also get the benefit. This will increase the number of rural women covered under the scheme," as noted by Adhikari.
The West Bengal government is conducting thorough verification of all Annapurna Yojana applications before releasing the ₹3,000 monthly benefit. Women can check their verification status online at socialregistry.wb.gov.in/citizen using their mobile number and OTP. The portal shows different status categories including Approved (verification completed and name added to payment list), Under Processing (documents still being checked), Under Inquiry (form being rechecked after grievance), Provisionally Rejected (not final, subject to field verification), and Rejected (form failed verification with specific reasons shown). Most rejections occur due to Aadhaar not seeded with bank account or joint bank accounts, name mismatches, or income tax/government job holders. Rejected women can resubmit forms from the same portal login, with resubmitted forms checked again at District Magistrate offices. If verification finishes after September 17, payments will be made in later rounds. To check your Annapurna Bhandar credit status, women can log in to the state's Social Security Portal, select "Track Applicant Status" using their Application ID, Aadhaar number, or registered mobile number, or verify direct credits in their Aadhaar-linked bank account.
Earlier in August, Adhikari announced fresh eligibility criteria for the Annapurna scheme, as reported by Mint and Pratidin. Women earning more than ₹10,000 a month or belonging to families with an annual income above ₹12 lakh would not be eligible for the scheme. However, those already receiving certain government benefits, including disability allowance and PM-Kisan assistance, would remain eligible provided other criteria are met. For rural women, having more than three rooms in a house or owning more than 50 decimals of land would not by itself disqualify them from receiving the benefit. As per Mint, Adhikari clarified that "this will increase the number of rural women covered under the scheme," addressing previous concerns about eligible women not receiving payments. The scheme took over from Lakshmir Bhandar from June 1, 2026, with around 2.16 crore applications made before the window closed on July 31, and about 17 lakh were rejected during verification, mostly due to Aadhaar problems.
According to Mint and Pratidin, the Bengal CM stated that women receiving other government allowances of less than ₹3,000 would be entitled to the difference under the Annapurna scheme. The final verification and scrutiny of applications is currently underway, with payments to be transferred directly to eligible beneficiaries' bank accounts from August 17. The government had said that applications were being verified and scrutinised before payments were transferred directly to eligible beneficiaries' bank accounts. As reported by Pratidin, Adhikari assured that there is no reason to worry about the process, with the Finance department transferring money district-wise and those whose verification has been completed receiving payments in the second week of every month. On September 13, CM Suvendu Adhikari announced that Jan Kalyan camps will be held again in November and December 2026, where new applications for Annapurna Yojana will be taken.
As reported by Mint and Pratidin, the Annapurna scheme was promised in the BJP's election manifesto for women aged 25 to 60 and was subsequently implemented after the party came to power in the state. The scheme took over from Lakshmir Bhandar from June 1, 2026. The first payment went to 28.25 lakh women on June 3, the second started on July 1, and the August round was paid between 17 and 20 August. Modi emphasized that "this is a significant support for them" and noted that "the women of Bengal should have both the power to make decisions and the courage to move forward." The Prime Minister added that "the Annapurna scheme is an important effort to strengthen the confidence of Bengal's women" and that "a new empowerment has been added for the mothers and sisters of Bengal through the Annapurna scheme." The scheme's expansion reflects the government's commitment to providing financial support to eligible women across the state, with the latest changes specifically addressing rural coverage gaps and ensuring more women receive the intended benefits.
