The West Bengal government has officially notified the Annapurna Yojna, which will replace the existing Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme and provide eligible women with monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000.
According to the notification issued by the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department, the scheme will come into effect from June 1.
The financial assistance will be transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
Eligibility criteria outlined by state government
The notification stated that women aged between 25 and 60 years will be eligible for the scheme, provided they are not permanent government employees receiving salaries or pensions and are not income tax payers.
The proposed welfare programme is aimed at strengthening financial support for women belonging to economically weaker households in both rural and urban areas of the state.
How to apply for West Bengal Annapurna Yojna
- The official application process for the Annapurna Yojna has not started yet.
- The state government is expected to release detailed application guidelines after the official launch announcement.
- According to current discussions, the proposed WB women’s Rs 3,000 monthly assistance scheme may begin from June 1, 2026.
- Eligible beneficiaries may later apply through the official Annapurna Bhandar portal.
- Applications may also be accepted offline through Duare Sarkar camps, block offices, municipality offices and other authorised government centres.
- Applicants may be required to submit Aadhaar details, residence proof, bank account information and other necessary documents during registration.
- Beneficiary verification may be conducted before approval of financial assistance under the scheme.
- Women searching for Annapurna Bhandar online registration or the WB women assistance scheme application form have been advised to wait for the official government announcement before applying.
- Applicants have also been advised to avoid unofficial registration links and fake portals until the government launches the official website.
Direct link for Annapurna Yojana Portal
Existing Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries to be migrated automatically
According to the notification, all current beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme will be automatically shifted to the Annapurna Yojna.
However, beneficiaries identified as dead, shifted, deleted or absentee electors during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 process will be excluded from the migration process.
The government also stated that beneficiaries who have filed appeals before the SIR tribunal or submitted applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue receiving assistance under the new scheme until disposal of their cases.
Names of dead or shifted beneficiaries will continue to be removed periodically, the notification added.
Online portal and fresh registration process
The state government announced that a dedicated online portal for the scheme will be launched on June 1 to accept fresh applications.
Women who are not currently receiving benefits under the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme may have to submit fresh applications through the Annapurna Bhandar portal, Duare Sarkar camps, municipality offices, block offices or other authorised government centres after the registration process begins.
Applications will reportedly be verified by authorised state government or civic body officials depending on the applicant’s residential location.
District magistrates will function as sanctioning authorities for applicants residing in districts, while the Commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation will approve applications within the KMC area.
How beneficiaries may update Aadhaar-linked bank accounts
Many beneficiaries are also searching for the process to change or update bank accounts linked to the scheme due to inactive accounts, incorrect details, DBT failures or switching banks.
According to available information, beneficiaries may update Aadhaar-linked bank account details online through the NPCI Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE) portal without visiting bank branches.
Beneficiaries can first check the Aadhaar Mapping Status on the portal by entering their Aadhaar number and OTP verification to identify which bank account is currently linked for DBT transfers.
To update the account, users may select the Aadhaar Seeding or De-Seeding option, choose the new bank, enter updated account details and complete OTP verification.
The process reportedly allows beneficiaries to link a fresh account, change accounts within the same bank or transfer Aadhaar linkage from one bank to another.
After successful verification, the newly linked account is expected to become active for DBT transfers under the Annapurna Yojna, Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme and other government welfare programmes.
Beneficiaries can later verify the updated bank linkage status again through the NPCI portal or through UIDAI’s Bank Seeding Status facility.
Scheme expected to increase monthly assistance for women
The Annapurna Yojna is being seen as an expanded version of the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme.
Currently, women belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories receive Rs 1,700 per month under Lakshmir Bhandar, while women from other categories receive Rs 1,500 monthly assistance.
Under the proposed Annapurna Yojna, eligible women may receive Rs 3,000 per month, increasing financial assistance by Rs 1,300 for SC and ST beneficiaries and by Rs 1,500 for women from other categories.
The programme is expected to support women in managing household expenses, healthcare, grocery costs and children’s education while strengthening women-focused welfare initiatives in the state.
Applicants advised to avoid unofficial registration portals
Applicants searching online for Annapurna Bhandar registration forms or bank account update links have been advised to avoid unofficial websites and fake registration portals circulating on social media until the state government releases official guidelines and verified portal links.
