West Bengal Announces Rs 3,000 Monthly Assistance Scheme for Women

The Government of West Bengal has officially announced the launch of the ‘Annapurna Yojana’, a new financial assistance scheme designed to support women through direct monthly aid of Rs 3,000.

The scheme has been introduced by the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare and will become operational from June 1, 2026.

Under the initiative, eligible beneficiaries will receive the assistance amount directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

According to the notification, women aged between 25 and 60 years will be eligible for the scheme, provided they are not income tax payers and do not hold permanent government jobs or receive regular salaries or pensions from the central or state governments, statutory bodies, panchayats, municipalities, local authorities, or government-aided educational institutions.

The state government has also announced that all existing beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme will be automatically migrated to the new Annapurna Yojana without requiring fresh applications.

However, beneficiaries identified as deceased, shifted, deleted, or listed as absentee electors during the SIR-2026 electoral revision exercise will be excluded from the scheme. The government clarified that individuals who have filed appeals before the SIR Tribunal or submitted applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue to receive benefits until their cases are legally resolved.

For new applicants, the government will launch a dedicated online application portal on June 1, 2026. All fresh applications will undergo field verification and enquiry by authorised officials.

In rural areas, Block Development Officers (BDOs) will supervise verification, while Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) will oversee the process in urban regions. Within Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits, designated KMC officials will handle verification procedures.

The final approval authority for the scheme will rest with the respective District Magistrates and the Kolkata Municipal Commissioner, who will sanction verified applications through the online portal.

The scheme is being viewed as a major social welfare initiative aimed at strengthening financial security and socio-economic empowerment for women across the state.

Eligibility Criteria for Annapurna Yojana