National
17 Jun, 2026
29 lakh women received or set to get Annapurna Yojana assistance: Bengal CM
Business To Business, Kolkata, 17th June, 2026: Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said that more than 29 lakh women have either already received or are in the process of receiving financial assistance under the state's Annapurna Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme of the current government.
According to Adhikari:
- Beneficiaries under the scheme receive ₹3,000 per month.
- The rollout has been conducted in phases since its launch on June 3.
- Additional beneficiaries are being included after verification of applications and eligibility criteria.
- The government expects the number of recipients to increase further as the enrollment process continues.
The
Annapurna Yojana was one of the major promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign.
The scheme replaced the previous government's
Lakshmir Bhandar programme, introduced under former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress. Under Lakshmir Bhandar, eligible women received financial assistance of up to ₹1,500 per month, whereas Annapurna Yojana doubles that amount to ₹3,000 per month.
The state government has projected the scheme as a major women's welfare initiative aimed at strengthening household incomes and providing direct financial support to women across West Bengal. Opposition parties, meanwhile, are expected to closely scrutinize the implementation, beneficiary verification process, and fiscal impact of the expanded cash-transfer programme.