Annapurna Bhandar 2026 – How To Apply Online, Status Check & Eligibility

The Annapurna Bhandar is a government initiative for women residing in West Bengal that provides financial assistance to eligible beneficiaries. Under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme, the eligible beneficiaries receive higher monthly aid transferred straight to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

This guide explains the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme eligibility, how to apply online and complete Annapurna Bhandar status check.

Annapurna Bhandar Scheme Overview

What is Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

The Annapurna Yojana or the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme (earlier called Matri Shakti Bharosa Scheme) is a women’s welfare scheme in West Bengal, effective from 3 June 2026. This scheme replaces the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme.

The primary objective of the scheme is to provide financial support for women’s empowerment and socio-economic upliftment. The monthly amount is provided through direct benefit transfer (DBT). 

Annapurna Bhandar Instalment Date

The instalment details are as follows:

Latest Update: The West Bengal Government has indicated that the August instalment is likely to be credited by 30 August 2026, subject to completion of beneficiary verification and DBT processing. Existing beneficiaries do not need to submit a fresh application if their records have already been verified.

Benefits of Annapurna Bhandar Scheme

The Annapurna Bhandar Scheme provides a financial benefit of ₹3,000 per month, i.e. ₹36,000 per year to beneficiaries via Direct Benefit Transfer (BDT) to their Aadhaar-linked bank account.

Annapurna Bhandar Eligibility Criteria

The Annapurna Bhandar Scheme eligibility criteria determine which women can receive the monthly financial assistance.

• Must be a woman.
• Be a permanent resident of West Bengal. 
• Aged between 25-60 years.

I. Who is Not Eligible under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

The following are not eigible Under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme:

• Income taxpayers.
• Permanent or retired government employee. 
• Receiving a regular salary or pension from the state or central government, panchayats, statutory bodies, local bodies, municipalities or government-aided educational institutions.
• Employed in a teaching or non-teaching role in any government-aided educational institution in West Bengal. 

II. Will Lakshmir Bandhar Scheme Beneficiaries get Annapurna Bhandar Benefits?

All existing Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme beneficiaries will be migrated to the Annapurna Yojana, except the following:

• Dead, shifted, deleted and absentee electors identified during SIR 2026 
• Deletion in the second list after publication of draft list 
• Deleted after adjudication 
• Those marked as ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate) found during voter slip distribution

However, individuals whose names have been deleted from the voter rolls during the Special Summary Revision (SIR) process, but who have applied for citizenship under the CAA and have pending cases before tribunals will continue to receive scheme benefits.

Documents Required for Annapurna Bhandar Application

Applicants must provide the required documents to verify their identity, residence and eligibility for the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme.

• Aadhaar card 
• Voter ID card
• Residence proof
• Bank account statement/ passbook 
• Passport-size photographs

Annapurna Bhandar Application Window

The application window for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme is open from 27 May 2026 to 25 August 2026.

How to Download the Annapurna Yojana Application Form?

The application form is available on the scheme’s official portal or from Nabanna from 27 May 2026.

I. Online Process

The following are the steps to download the Annapurna Yojana Application Form online:

Step 1: Log in to the official Social Registry West Bengal portal. 

Step 2: You can download the form in English, Bengali or Hindi.

Step 3: Fill out all the required details on the form and submit it to the local block development office, municipal or Panchayat office.

II. Offline Process

The Annapurna Yojana form is available from the nearest local block, municipal or Panchayat office. MLAs will also help beneficiaries to fill the forms, while teams under Block Development Officers (BDO) will go door-to-door to assist applicants.

Details to be Filled in the Annapurna Yojana Application Form

The following details should be filled on the Annapurna Yojana Form:

• Family Identity: Details of Head of Family (HOF), Household ID of Digital Ration Card, details of family members, bank account and EPIC details of HOF and all family members. 
• Ration Card/ Food Subsidy: Whether family has a Digital Ration Card, whether family is lifting monthly ration from the Ration Shop and the type of card.
• Assets: Details of house, landholdings, vehicles and insurance owned by the family.
• Income/ Profession: Whether any member pays income tax, is a constitutional post holder, MP, MLA or local body representative, government pensioner or registered under GST; PAN card, nature of employment and literacy status of all members; total annual family income. 
• Other Identity Documents: CAA application status, other credit/ID card details, details of case pending in Tribunal related to deletion in SIR 2026 if any.
• Social Status and Dependents: Details of all children in the family attending school and children's vaccination status.
• Benefits under Government Schemes: Whether any member receives benefits under government schemes and reasons for exclusion if any.
• Declaration and Consent: Agree to consent and signature.

Points to Remember While Filling the Annapurna Yojana Application Form

The following points are to be kept in mind while filling the illing the Annapurna Yojana Scheme :

• Personal Information: Write your full name as it appears on your Aadhaar card. Write your date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format.
• Address Details: Provide your permanent address with PIN code as it appears in your residence proof document.
• Bank Account Information: Provide your active bank account number linked with Aadhaar, bank name and IFSC code. 
• Income Details: Fill in the annual family income and attach an income certificate if required.
• Declaration and Signature: Go through the declaration carefully and sign or put your thumb impression on the form.
• Review: Double‑check all the details entered on the form and ensure there are no spelling mistakes or mismatches.

How to Apply for Annapurna Bhandar Yojana?

Eligible women can apply for the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme by following the prescribed application process and submitting the required details.

I. Online Application Process

The online application process is as follows:

Step 1: Visit the official Social Registry West Bengal portal.

Step 2: Select your district, enter your mobile number and click ‘Request OTP’. 

Step 3: Enter the OTP and click the ‘Verify & Continue’ button.

Step 4: Enter the required information, such as basic info, ration card details, assets, income/ profession, identity docs, government scheme and family identity. 

Step 5: Accept the declaration & consent and upload the required documents.

Step 6: Submit the form and note down the application reference number.

Step 7: Wait for verification and approval from the relevant department.

II. Offline Application Process

The offline application process is from 27 May 2026 to 25 August 2025. You can apply for the scheme offline by:

Step 1: Visit the nearest government camps, Block Development Office (BDO), municipality offices, or other designated service centres in West Bengal.

Step 2: Collect and submit the completed form along with self-attested documents.

Step 3: Receive the acknowledgement receipt and wait for verification from the relevant department.

How to Check Annapurna Bhandar Application Status?

There are multiple ways to check the status of the Annapurna Bhandar Yojana application form.

I. Annapurna Bhandar Status Check Online 

The following are the steps to check the status of Annapurna Bhandar Scheme online:

Step 1: Visit the official Social Registry West Bengal portal.

Step 2: Log in by selecting your district, entering your mobile number and OTP. 

Step 3: Access your beneficiary profile and application-related details available on the portal.

Step 4: If the application status is not displayed online, contact the local block office or municipality office for an update on your application.

II. Annapurna Bhandar Status Check Offline 

The following are the steps to check the status of Annapurna Bhandar Scheme offline:

Step 1: Visit the local Block Development Office (BDO) or municipal office.

Step 2: Provide your acknowledgement receipt, application number, or registered mobile number.

Step 3: Request the concerned official to check and provide the current status of your application.

Annapurna Bhandar Yojana Application Status Meaning

Here is the different status that you may see for your Annapurna Bhandar Yojana application:

How to Check Annapurna Bhandar Yojana Beneficiariy List?

The West Bengal government will publish the beneficiary list at the block, panchayat, and booth levels. 

• Citizens can raise objections if ineligible names appear.
• Eligible applicants who have been left out can reapply to this scheme.
• The beneficiary lists are finalised based on the recommendations from the respective Sub-Divisional Officers, BDOs, and municipal authorities.

How to Change/Update Bank Account For Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

Beneficiaries who are migrating from Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme to Annapurna Bhandar Scheme must ensure the bank account details are up to date.

Beneficiaries may need to update bank account details if:

• Registered bank account is closed or inactive.
• Experiancing DBT payment failures.
• If transferred the bank account to a different bank branch.

I. Process to Check Bank Account Linked with Aadhaar for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme

Follow the process below to check which account is linked with the Aadhaar card to receive DBT payments:

Step 1: Go to the official NPCI website.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Customer’ section and then select the ‘Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE)’ option.

Step 3: Click on the ‘Aadhaar Mapped Status’ option.

Step 4: Enter your Aadhaar Number, captcha code and click on ‘Check Status’.

Step 5: Enter the OTP sent to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar Card.

Step 6: The current Aadhaar-linked bank account details, bank name, and DBT status will appear on the screen.

II. Process to Change/Update Bank Account Linked With Aadhaar for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme

Follow these steps to change/update bank account linked with Aadhaar for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme:

Step 1: Go to the official NPCI website.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Customer’ section and then select the ‘Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE)’ option.

Step 3: Click on the ‘Aadhaar Seeding/Deseeding’ option. 

Step 4: Enter your Aadhaar Number and select the ‘Seeding’ option to link or update your bank account with Aadhaar.

Step 5: Select your new bank name from the list of banks on the portal.

Step 6: Select the seeding type: 

• Select the ‘Fresh Seeding’ option if no bank account was previously linked with Aadhaar. 
• Select ‘Movement - Same bank with another account’ if you want to change to another account within the same bank.
• Select ‘Movement - from one bank to another bank’ if you want to transfer Aadhaar Aadhaar-linked bank account to another bank.

Step 7: Enter the new bank account number and confirm it.

Step 8: Accept the declaration, enter the captcha code and click on ‘Submit’.

Step 9: Read the terms and conditions and click on ‘Agree and Continue’.

Step 10: Enter the OTP sent to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number and ‘Confirm’.

How to Verify the Linking of New Bank Account with Aadhaar?

Beneficiaries can verify the linking of new bank account Aadhar Card by following the steps below:

Step 1: Go to the NPCI website.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Customer’ section and then select the ‘Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE)’ option.

Step 3: Click on the ‘Aadhaar Mapped Status’ option. 

Step 4: Enter your Aadhaar Number and verify it with an OTP.

Step 5: The newly linked bank account name will appear on the screen if the update is successful.

Beneficiaries can also verify their Aadhaar-linked bank account status by logging into the myAadhaar portal and clicking on the ‘Bank Seeding Status’ tab.

Note: The DBT payment will be made only to the Aadhaar-linked bank account. Thus, ensure that your Aadhaar-linked bank account is active and up to date to receive the amount under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme. 

Difference between Annapurna Bhandar Scheme and Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme

The difference between Annapurna Bhandar Scheme and Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme are as follows:

Differences Between Annapurna Bhandar Scheme WB and Rajasthan

Here are the differences between the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme in West Bengal and Rajasthan:

Central Government Annapurna Scheme (NSAP) - Free Food for Senior Citizens

The Annapurna Scheme was launched in 2000 under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). This scheme provides free monthly food grains to destitute senior citizens aged above 65 years. It targets those eligible for the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme but not receiving it. 

Here are the features of the Central Government Annapurna Scheme:

• Launched: 1 April 2000 by the Ministry of Rural Development
• Eligibility: Destitutes aged 65 or above and not receiving pensions. Destitutes are people having little or no regular means of subsistence from their income source or no financial support from family members.
• Benefit: 10 kg free food grains (rice/ wheat) per month.
• Application: Offline via Gram Panchayat or Block Development Office (BDO)
• Selection process: Gram Sabhas will select the beneficiaries for the scheme, and the list will be displayed at the Gram Panchayats.

Final Word

The Annapurna Bhandar Scheme helps eligible beneficiaries access essential household items at affordable prices. Eligible applicants can complete the Annapurna Bhandar online apply process and use the available facility for Annapurna Bhandar status check.

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