Annapurna Bhandar Sparks Protests Across West Bengal as Thousands Await ₹3,000 Monthly Assistance

The rollout of the West Bengal government’s Annapurna Bhandar scheme has triggered growing protests across several districts, with thousands of women claiming they are yet to receive the promised ₹3,000 monthly financial assistance despite completing the application process.

Introduced as one of the BJP government’s flagship welfare initiatives after the Assembly elections, the scheme was a major electoral promise aimed at providing direct financial support to eligible women. Political observers believe the commitment played a significant role in influencing a section of women voters during the election campaign.

Following the launch of the scheme, applications were accepted through both online and offline modes. While payments have already been credited to the bank accounts of some beneficiaries, a large number of applicants are still waiting for the first instalment. Many of them were previously beneficiaries under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which provided ₹1,500 per month to nearly 2.42 crore women under the previous government.

According to government sources, the disbursement is being carried out in phases, with more eligible beneficiaries expected to receive the assistance from July 1 onwards. At the same time, officials are conducting a statewide verification and survey process to identify genuine beneficiaries before releasing the remaining payments.

The state government has allocated an annual budget of around ₹36,000 crore for the programme. Based on this allocation, nearly one crore women are expected to benefit from the scheme.

However, the delay in payments has led to growing resentment in several districts. Reports suggest that groups of women have staged demonstrations outside panchayat and block development offices, demanding immediate release of the financial assistance and greater transparency regarding their application status.

The government has maintained that the verification process is continuing and has appealed for patience, assuring that eligible beneficiaries will receive the assistance in a phased manner.