The Bengal Story Bureau: Online applications for the Annapurna Bhandar scheme, West Bengal’s new Rs 3,000-a-month assistance programme for women, are now open on the state government’s official portal. The scheme, which replaces Lakshmir Bhandar, was launched on June 1, 2026, and the first instalments reached the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of more than 28 lakh women from June 3.
The state government has set a 90-day enrolment window from the start of registration, which means eligible women who are not already on the rolls should apply well before the deadline closes. The Women and Child Development Department is the nodal department, with District Magistrates and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner notified as sanctioning authorities.
What the scheme offers
Annapurna Bhandar, officially notified as the Annapurna Yojana on May 19, 2026, pays a flat Rs 3,000 every month to eligible women through Direct Benefit Transfer. There are no category-wise slabs: general, SC, ST, OBC and EWS beneficiaries all receive the same amount, a departure from the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar structure, which paid between Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,700 depending on category.
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The state cabinet cleared the scheme at its first meeting on May 11, 2026, fulfilling a key poll promise of the new government. Officials estimate that around two crore women could eventually be covered, and the government has said the beneficiary list will be refreshed every seven days as verification proceeds.
How to apply online, step by step
The online route runs through the West Bengal government’s social registry platform. The process, as laid out on the portal, works as follows.
First, open the official portal at socialregistry.wb.gov.in and click the Citizen or Family Login option. Second, select your district from the dropdown list and enter your active mobile number. The number should ideally be the one linked to your Aadhaar. Third, request the OTP, enter it, and log in.
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Once inside, the Family Level Data Collection form opens. The applicant must fill in details of the head of the family and then add herself as a family member if she is not the head. Required entries include the name exactly as printed on Aadhaar, date of birth, social category, Aadhaar number, voter ID (EPIC) details and contact number.
After the family details are saved, select the Annapurna Bhandar scheme from the list of available benefits, enter your bank account details, review every field carefully and submit. The portal generates an Application ID on submission. Save this number: it is needed later to track the application status.
Documents to keep ready
Applicants should keep the Aadhaar card, an Aadhaar-linked single-holder bank account, voter ID, proof of West Bengal residence and a passport-size photograph ready before starting. The Swasthya Sathi card number is also sought during enrolment where the family holds one, so keep that handy as well.
Who is eligible
The scheme is open to women aged 25 to 60 who are permanent residents of West Bengal and Indian citizens. Women who pay income tax, hold permanent government jobs, or draw a regular salary or pension from the state or central government, local bodies, panchayats or government-aided institutions are not eligible. The government has also said benefits will not extend to illegal migrants.
What happens next
Existing Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries do not need to apply afresh; they are being migrated automatically after re-verification of the rolls. New applicants who submit online can track their application on the portal using the Application ID, Aadhaar number or registered mobile number. Approved names enter the beneficiary list, and the monthly Rs 3,000 begins flowing through DBT from the following payment cycle.
With the enrolment clock already running, officials have urged applicants to double-check Aadhaar-bank seeding before submitting, since a mismatch there is the single most common reason payments fail.
