Prateek Tanmay
The West Bengal Government Wednesday released the application form for those who want to avail themselves of the benefits under the Annapurna Yojana, which will replace the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme launched by the previous government led by Mamata Banerjee.
The new BJP government’s Annapurna Yojana will come into effect from June 1.
“The government has requested detailed information in the form. Our government requires family details so we can extend the benefits of other schemes as well. Currently, 2 crore 20 lakh women receive the money. Among them, about 30 lakh are not eligible and will not receive it. Ultimately, there will be around 2 crore beneficiaries,” Adhikari said during a press conference at Nabanna.
“Lakshmir Bhandar will remain active until the form submission and enrolment for the Annapurna Yojana are completed,” he added.
Here is a look at how this transition will work, who qualifies for the Rs 3,000 benefit, and how to successfully file your claim:
Q: What is the Annapurna Yojana, and how much money will beneficiaries get?
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The Annapurna Yojana is a direct financial assistance scheme designed for the socio-economic upliftment of women in West Bengal. Eligible women will receive an assured flat monthly benefit of Rs 3,000. The funds will be transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). It should not be a joint account.
Q: How does it differ from the old Lakshmir Bhandar scheme?
Under Lakshmi Bhandar, the monthly cash benefit ranged from Rs 1,500 to 1,700 (caste/category-dependent), while under Annapurna, one person will receive Rs 3,000 across all eligible categories.
Q: Will beneficiaries receive money from both schemes simultaneously?
Beneficiaries cannot receive payouts from both schemes. However, to ensure no woman is left without financial support during the transition, the state government will keep Lakshmir Bhandar active until the Annapurna rollout is fully executed.
Q: Who qualifies for the new scheme?
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To receive the monthly benefit, an applicant must be a woman aged 25 to 60 and a permanent resident of West Bengal.
Q: Who is excluded from the scheme?
The scheme excludes households that are relatively affluent or institutionally supported. You are not eligible if:
You file or are liable to pay income tax.
You hold permanent government employment or receive a regular salary/pension from the Centre or state government, statutory bodies, Panchayats, Municipalities, or government-aided educational institutions.
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Q: If I am already getting Lakshmir Bhandar, do I need to reapply?
Yes, you need to resubmit the application. However, verification is in progress for all these accounts.
Q: Can you be dropped during the automatic migration?
Yes, the government is conducting background screening. You could be excluded from the auto-migration if you were flagged during the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR-2026) exercise or voter slip distribution as: Deceased, Shifted/relocated out of the polling area, Listed as an “absentee elector” or erroneously deleted.
If you have an active appeal pending before the SIR Tribunal, or if you have applied for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), your financial assistance will continue uninterrupted until your legal case is officially resolved.
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Q: When and how can new applicants apply?
Online: A dedicated state portal will launch on June 1 for digital submissions.
Offline: Physical forms are being rolled out. Local MLAs, Block Development Offices (BDOs), and municipality centres are establishing help desks to assist those without internet access.
Q: What documents must be kept ready?
Every application undergoes local verification. You must provide self-attested photocopies (offline) or scanned copies (online) of:
1. Aadhaar Card: For identity authentication and biometric mapping.
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2. Voter ID Card (EPIC): Crucial to verify your active status on the West Bengal voter list, mapped against the SIR-2026 data.
3. Proof of permanent residence: Voter ID, Aadhaar, a Digital Ration Card, or utility bills.
4. Digital ration card: Required online to auto-fetch registered household and family data.
5. Recent passport-size photographs: Two physical copies or a digital file.
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6. Income/employment declaration: A formal self-declaration embedded in the form confirming you are not an income tax payer or government employee.
Q: What are the bank account guidelines?
Because the scheme relies entirely on DBT, traditional cash pick-ups or unverified accounts are prohibited. Your account must meet three criteria:
Single/personal account only: The account must be explicitly in the name of the woman applicant. Joint bank accounts are not allowed as they frequently trigger transaction failures in welfare databases.
Mandatory Aadhaar seeding: Your bank account must be linked to your Aadhaar number through the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) gateway. Without this DBT enablement, the government server cannot credit the funds.
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Clear passbook copy: You must submit a smudge-free copy of the front page of your bank passbook showing the applicant’s name, account number, bank name, branch, and IFSC code. Spelling mismatches will halt approval.
Q. What details will the form ask for from you?
The nine-page form mandates that all fields must be filled and organises the required information into several distinct sections.
Housing: Information on whether the family home has 3 or more pucca (permanent) rooms.
Land ownership: Whether the family owns any land, the total size of the landholding in decimals, and supporting documentation like registration records or the latest Record of Rights (RoR).
Vehicles: Ownership of motorised, non-commercial 4-wheelers (cars, jeeps, tractors), including the model and Vehicle Registration Number.
Family identity and demographics: Head of the family (HOF) details: Full name (matching Aadhaar), date of birth, gender, and Aadhaar number.
Household identifiers: The Household ID linked to your Digital Ration Card (if applicable). Number of two- and four-wheelers you own. The total number of family members living in the household.
Full family roster: A detailed table asking for the name, date of birth, gender, relationship to the HOF, and Aadhaar number of every single family member.
Contact Information: Permanent address and a primary mobile number (preferably the one linked to the HOF’s Aadhaar).
Verification and electoral records:
EPIC (Voter ID) Details: The form requires the EPIC number, along with the Assembly Constituency (AC) and Part Number of the Electoral Roll for the HOF and all adult family members. This includes Bank Name, Account Number, and IFSC code.
Tax and identification: PAN Card numbers for family members (if available) and an indication of whether any member pays Income Tax or Professional Tax.
Occupational and educational profile
Employment status: For each adult member, the form tracks their professional sector, with checkboxes for the highest educational qualification or for illiteracy.
Exclusions/special status flags: Whether any member is a current or former holder of a constitutional post, MP, MLA, or member of a local urban/panchayat body.Whether any member is a government pensioner (requires a pension slip).Whether any member is registered under GST (requires GSTIN). Economic Assets & Living Conditions
Health insurance: Current status of any health coverage the family holds.
Q. Why is this data being collected?
The government has explicitly stated that this extensive, cross-referenced data serves a dual purpose:
To screen out individuals who are ineligible due to owning significant assets and to construct a definitive household data map that will be used to implement other state social welfare programs moving forward.
