Annapurna Bhandar 2026 – Eligibility, Benefits, Amount, How to Apply & Status Check

The Annapurna Yojana, also known as Annapurna Bhandar Scheme, is a welfare initiative in West Bengal (WB) that will provide eligible women with ₹3,000 per month through Direct Bank Transfer (DBT). This scheme aims to empower women and enhance financial stability for families across the state.

Highlights of the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme 2026:

• Implementation: Across the state of West Bengal
• Nodal Authority: Women and Child Welfare Department
• Category: Welfare scheme for women
• Launch Date: 1 June 2026
• Monthly Benefit: ₹3,000 per month 
• Target Beneficiaries: Women residing in WB
• Application Mode: Online and offline mode
• Application Form Download: From the official portal and Nabanna
• Application Form Filling Date: From 27 May 2026 to 25 August 2026 (90 days from 27 May 2026)
• Official Portal: https://socialsecurity.wb.gov.in/login

What is Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

The Annapurna Yojana or the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme (earlier called Matri Shakti Bharosa Scheme) is a major electoral promise made during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections. It is a women’s welfare scheme in West Bengal which will come into effect from 1 June 2026, replacing the existing Lakshmir Bandhar Scheme. 

Its primary objective is to provide financial support for women’s empowerment and socio-economic upliftment of women. The monthly amount provided under this scheme helps women manage household expenses and support their healthcare needs. It reduces financial burden on families and improves their standard of living.

Annapurna Bhandar Scheme Release Date

The Chief Minister of West Bengal has announced the rollout of the Annapurna Yojana or Annapurna Bhandar Scheme from 1 June 2026 through a notification issued on 19 May 2026. The decision to launch this scheme was taken during the first cabinet meeting of the newly elected WB government held on 11 May 2026.

However, the existing Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will continue until this scheme is fully implemented. The application form for this scheme is available from 27 May 2026. The application form is issued from Nabanna and also available online.

Benefits of Annapurna Bhandar Scheme

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

Annapurna Bhandar Eligibility Criteria

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

Who is Not Eligible 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. 

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

Around 2.20 crore people are enrolled under the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme. Out of which, 30 lakh scheme beneficiaries were found ineligible by the government as they were non-Indian citizens, their names were permanently removed from the voter list or they had not applied to a SIR-linked tribunal or for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for inclusion. Thus, there will finally be around 2 crore beneficiaries for the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme.

Documents Required for Annapurna Bhandar Application

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

Annapurna Bhandar Application Form

The application form is available on the scheme’s official portal or from Nabanna from 27 May 2026. The government has given 90 days time from 27 May 2026 to complete the enrolment process for this scheme.  

How to Download the Annapurna Yojana Application Form?

Online

Step 1: Visit the official Annapurna Yojana portal. 

Step 2: Click on the ‘Download Annapurna Yojana Form’ button. 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, municipal or Panchayat office

Offline

You can get the Annapurna Yojana form from your 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. The government will also organise a “Janakalyan Shibir” across the state from June 15 to 17, where applicants can submit their Annapurna Yojana application forms.

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

Ensure you fill out the application form accurately, as errors can lead to rejection or delays in receiving scheme benefits. Thus, keep in mind the following points when the form is released:

• 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 Scheme?

The application process will begin from 1 June 2026.

Online Application Process

Step 1: Register and log in to the official Annapurna Yojana portal.

Step 2: Click on the ‘New Application’ or ‘Apply Online’ option. 

Step 3: Enter the mobile number and the OTP you received for verification.

Step 4: Fill out the application form with personal and family details.

Step 5: 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.

Offline Application Process

Step 1: Visit the nearest government camps, block offices, 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?

These are the ways to check the status of the Annapurna Bhandar application form:

• Online: Visit the scheme’s official portal, click on ‘Track Application’ and enter the ‘Application Reference Number’. 
• Offline: Visit the local block or municipal office and provide the acknowledgement receipt.

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

Many women beneficiaries under the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme in West Bengal may want to update their bank accounts to receive Annapurna Bhandar Scheme benefits for various reasons, such as an inactive or closed account, incorrect account details, DBT payment failures, or an account being shifted to another bank. 

Since existing Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme beneficiaries will be automatically migrated to the proposed Annapurna Bhandar Scheme, they should ensure that their Aadhaar-linked bank account remains active to receive the scheme amount through DBT.

Process to Check Bank Account Linked With Aadhaar for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme

Before proceeding to update or change the bank account linked with Aadhaar, check which bank account is currently linked with your Aadhaar card for receiving DBT payment under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme or Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme. If the wrong account is linked, you can update the Aadhaar-linked bank account.

Follow the process below to check which account is linked with your 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.

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

After checking the currently Aadhaar-linked bank account, proceed to change/update the account for the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme if the wrong account is linked. Follow these steps to complete the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme bank account update process:

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’.

Your request will be processed, and the updated Aadhaar bank mapping status will be displayed. Once the bank account is updated, it will become active for receiving DBT payments under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme.

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

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 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. 

Differences Between Annapurna Bhandar Scheme and Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme

Differences Between Annapurna Bhandar Scheme WB and Rajasthan

The Annapurna Bhandar Yojana Rajasthan was a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative launched by the Rajasthan Government in 2015. Under this scheme, the government proposed opening 5,000 Annapurna Bhandars at Fair Price Shops to make daily essential goods available to lower-income groups in 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.

Annapurna Bhandar Scheme - Latest News and Updates (2026)

• The current West Bengal government has committed to fully launching the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme by mid-2026, following the formation of the official government. 
• The chief minister has directed officials to implement the scheme from 1 June 2026. 
• The WB government has released an official notification regarding the launch of this scheme on 19 May 2026, providing the details of eligibility, application process and selection of beneficiaries.
• The WB government has released the Annapurna Yojana form on 27 May 2026.
• The Annapurna Bhandar form can be filled online and offline.
• The WB government has given 90 days time to fill the Annapurna Yojana application form.

The Annapurna Bhandar Scheme is a women’s empowerment initiative that will provide ₹3,000 per month to eligible women in West Bengal. The benefit will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts for their monthly expenses.

Also Read:
1. NPS Sanchay Scheme
2. TVK Youth Unemployment Scheme
3. Madhuban Bapudham Plot Scheme