An event was also organised on Wednesday where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari launched the initiative in the presence of hundreds of beneficiaries from several districts. Funds were directly transferred to their bank accounts under the scheme, marking its formal rollout.
₹3,000 Annapurna Bhandar-A Promise Fulfilled
A historic moment for West Bengal as the Annapurna Yojana is launched, bringing ₹3,000 every month through Direct Benefit Transfer to over 1.3 crore women across the state.
A promise fulfilled, empowering women, strengthening… pic.twitter.com/l9qVxFRE6V
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) July 1, 2026
Earlier, the government said that it had received nearly 1.5 crore applications for the scheme so far. After verification, a total of 1.2 crore applications were found genuine. This included around 5 lakh tribal women.
Who are Annapurna Scheme beneficiaries?
The government has earmarked a total of ₹ 36,000 crore for Annapurna Yojana.
It is a revamped version of the erstwhile Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, which had nearly 2.4 crore beneficiaries.
This can lead to confusion among women about their eligibility status to receive the funds. While eligible existing beneficiaries of the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme were transferred to the new initiative, new applications could be submitted from May.
Steps to check status
If you were among applicants of the Annapurna Yojana scheme and wish to check your beneficiary status, follow these simple steps:
- Visit the official West Bengal Social Security Portal: https://socialregistry.wb.gov.in/
- Click on citizen access section, which will redirect you to: https://socialregistry.wb.gov.in/citizen/
- Fill in applicant login details by choosing your districts and submitting mobile number.
- The portal will send a one-time-password on your registered mobile number.
- Submit OTP and add captcha to proceed with login.
- Once logged in, go to “Application Status” on your dashboard.
- It will show your beneficiary status and application details
Who is not eligible
Earlier, the CM announced that the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme would continue during the transition before being fully merged into Annapurna Yojana. The government also clarified that income taxpayers, government employees, regular salaried individuals and pensioners will not be eligible for this scheme. However, applicants under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) process or those under judicial review in the SIR process will remain eligible for benefits.
Funds were transferred to lakhs of beneficiaries in June as well, but the scope is expected to expand significantly in the next phases. The CM also stated that the process will continue for 90 days starting June 1. The work will be carried out across every municipality through both online and offline modes to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are included in the scheme.
