Annapurna Bhandar Scheme 2026: Know Eligibility, Documents & More

• Kashish Kumar
• 18 Sep 2026
• 2703 Views

The West Bengal government, under the leadership of CM Suvendu Adhikari, launched the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme on 3 June 2026 through Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare. This scheme provides eligible women living in the state of West Bengal with financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 / per month. 

Under the scheme, amount gets deposited directly by WB state govt into eligible women’s bank accounts. The funds are credited via Direct Benefit Transfer mode. It is important to note that the bank account must be Aadhaar-linked. Continue reading this post if you want to learn more about the scheme.

What is Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

The Annapurna Bhandar Scheme (Bengali: অন্নপূর্ণা ভাণ্ডার প্রকল্প) is a cash transfer initiative specifically meant for women in West Bengal. The main purpose of this scheme is to promote women welfare by providing them financial assistance. This new scheme by the BJP-led WB government replaced the previous Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme, a scheme which previously offered financial assistance of Rs. 1,500 per month for General and OBC categories and Rs. 1,700 per month for SC/ST categories. The new scheme offers Rs. 3,000 to women beneficiaries.

Annapurna Bhandar Scheme empowers women of West Bengal by providing them with financial support. The scheme works towards easing the financial burden faced by their families and promoting socio-economic upliftment across this Eastern state. For the month of September, the Annapurna Bhandar installment date was 17 September, which coincided with the 76th birthday of PM Shri. Narendra Modi.

Highlights of Annapurna Bhandar Scheme 2026 

The highlights of Annapurna Bhandar 2026 (অন্নপূর্ণা ভাণ্ডার 2026) are as follows:

Who can Apply for Annapurna Yojana? 

A woman who fulfills the below-mentioned eligibility criteria for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme can apply: 

• The woman must be residing in the state of West Bengal. 

• She must be between 25 and 60 years of age. 

• She must not hold a permanent government job that provides a regular salary or pension. This includes employment with the central or state government, statutory bodies, government undertakings, panchayats, municipal bodies, local bodies or aided educational institutions. 

• The woman must not be a taxpayer.

Annapurna Bhandar Documents Required

The documents required for Annapurna Yojana 2026 are as follows:

• Aadhaar Card 

• Voter ID

• Proof of residence 

• Digital ration card

• Bank account details 

• Passport-sized photograph 

• Income certificate 

• Mobile number linked to Aadhaar 

• Other necessary documents

How to apply for Annapurna Bhandar? 

The new applicants can opt for Annapurna Bhandar online apply or offline application process, as per their convenience. In this section, we’ve explained both the processes.

Annapurna Bhandar Online Apply 2026

The Annapurna Yojana registration online process involves the following steps:

Step 1: Visit the official Annapurna Yojana Portal @ https://socialregistry.wb.gov.in/. After that, click on the ‘Access Citizen Portal’ option.

Step 2: Then, enter your district and mobile number.

Step 3: Now, click on the ‘Request OTP’ button to receive it on your mobile phone. 

Step 4: Then, after OTP verification is done with, begin to fill in the application form with all required personal and family details in required fields.

Step 5: In this step, you must upload necessary documents like Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, etc.

Step 6: Now, you must review information you entered very carefully to ensure it is accurate and also make sure no documents are missing. Errors/mistakes may result in rejection of application. Once you have made sure everything is correct, you can go ahead and finally submit the application form. Make sure to save application reference number as you might need it for future use.

Step 7: After submission, the concerned department will verify your application to see if it aligns with all the requirements. After receiving the approval, you will begin to receive the scheme benefits.

Annapurna Bhandar Registration Offline Process

The offline process for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme is as follows:

Step 1: Visit a designated enrolment camp and submit your application form. 

Step 2: After submission of application, the concerned authorities in the area will examine it for verification purposes. In rural areas, verification process will be carried out by Block Development Officers (BDOs). In urban areas, this process will be handled by Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) instead. For applicants living within Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) areas, KMC officers will have the responsibility to conduct the verification.

Step 3: Once verification is completed, the application will be sent for final approval. District Magistrates will approve applications in districts while the KMC Commissioner will approve applications within KMC areas. 

It is important to note that only those applicants who are eligible as well as verified will receive the monthly financial assistance under the scheme.

What Happens to Existing Lakshmir Bhandar Beneficiaries?

Women who are already receiving benefits under the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme will be covered under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme through the automatic route. Therefore, there is absolutely no need for them to submit a fresh application. 

However, beneficiaries will not be shifted to the new scheme in case of following scenarios: 

• They are marked as deceased, 

• Have shifted from the state, 

• Are deleted from the voter list, 

• Are identified as absentee electors 

• Are otherwise found ineligible at the time of verification process.

Further, beneficiaries who have filed appeals before SIR Tribunal or have applied under Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue to receive the new scheme’s benefits until a final decision is made regarding their applications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the financial benefit under the West Bengal Annapurna Yojana?

A. Under this scheme, the eligible beneficiaries receive Rs. 3,000 per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly into their bank account. 

Q2. Which is the official portal for accessing Annapurna Yojana-related services?

A. The West Bengal Social Registry Portal is the official portal for accessing Annapurna Yojana-related services. 

Q3. Which scheme did the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme replace?

A. The Annapurna Bhandar of the BJP-led WB state government replaced the previous Lakshmir Bhandar scheme of the Trinamool Congress.

Q4. Is Annapurna Yojana only meant for women in the state of West Bengal?

A. Yes. This scheme is meant exclusively for women who are permanent residents in the state of West Bengal.

Q5. Can men apply for Annapurna Yojana in West Bengal?

A. No. This scheme is only meant for women in West Bengal. 

Q6. Can a government employee avail the benefits of Annapurna Scheme?

A. No. A government employee is ineligible for availing this scheme’s benefits.