Bengal govt notifies 'Annapurna' financial assistance scheme for women

The West Bengal government has introduced the Annapurna Yojna scheme, replacing Lakshmir Bhandar, providing a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to eligible women from June 1.

The West Bengal government on Tuesday notified the Annapurna Yojna financial assistance scheme for women, replacing the existing 'Lakshmir Bhandar' programme, for a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000, which will take effect from June 1.

The notification, issued by the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department, of which Agnimitra Paul is the minister, was also tagged with riders about the eligibility for receiving the scheme's benefits.

Women, aged between 25 and 60 years, not permanent government employees receiving salaries or pensions and not paying income tax, are eligible to receive the monetary assistance, the notification said.

The assistance amount will be credited through the Direct Benefit Transfer system to the Aadhaar card-linked bank account in the name of the beneficiary, it added.

''All existing beneficiaries of 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme shall be migrated to the Annapurna Yojna except the dead, shifted, deleted and absentee electors identified during SIR- 2026, deletion in the second list after publication of draft list, deleted after adjudication, ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate) found during voter slip distribution,'' the notification read.

Beneficiaries, who have filed appeals before the SIR tribunal or applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, shall get financial assistance under the new scheme till the disposal of their pleas, it said.

Likewise, names of dead and shifted beneficiaries will be deleted in future on a regular basis, the notification said.

The government announced that an online application portal will be launched on June 1 to accommodate new applicants for the scheme.

The notice stated that fresh applicants for the monetary benefit scheme would be enquired into by the government or Kolkata's civic body officials authorised for the purpose, according to the applicant's residential status.

While DMs concerned will act as sanctioning authorities for the applicants in districts, the commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation will sanction the cases for those residing in the KMC area, it added.