Annapurna Yojana: Suvendu Adhikari says verified and approved beneficiaries in Bardhaman will receive pending payments before Durga Puja.
Qalam Times News Network
Bardhaman | September 25, 2026
Annapurna Yojana beneficiaries whose applications have cleared the verification process will receive their pending payments before Durga Puja, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced at a programme in Bardhaman on Friday.
The announcement comes amid continuing complaints from applicants who say they are yet to receive the monthly assistance or are still unable to determine the status of their applications. Reports of protests over delayed payments have emerged from several districts in recent weeks. The state government has maintained that applications are being verified and that eligible beneficiaries will be covered once the process is completed.
Bardhaman Figures Show Over 11.5 Lakh Applications Initially Approved
Speaking at the Bardhaman programme, Adhikari gave district-level figures for the Annapurna Yojana, which provides financial assistance to eligible women aged between 25 and 60.
According to the figures cited by the Chief Minister, 12,38,781 women in the district had applied for the scheme. Of these, 11,56,332 applications were initially approved, while some applications are still undergoing processing.
The Chief Minister said 17,045 applications had been rejected, while 10,714 applications remained pending for verification.
So far, payments have reportedly been made to 9,52,331 beneficiaries in the district. Adhikari said that those whose verification has already been completed and approved would receive the remaining payments before the Puja festivities.
“Those whose names have been approved after verification will receive the remaining payment before Puja,” the Chief Minister said, according to the statement quoted in the report.
The announcement is significant because payment delays have become a point of concern among applicants across West Bengal. Recent reports have documented demonstrations by women who said they had not received the ₹3,000 monthly assistance under the scheme. The government, meanwhile, has said that payment depends on eligibility and completion of the verification process.
The Annapurna Yojana was introduced in West Bengal in 2026, replacing the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar framework, with eligible women in the 25–60 age group entitled to ₹3,000 per month subject to the scheme’s eligibility requirements.
The government has previously said that a large number of women have already received payments, while applications that did not meet the eligibility requirements were rejected and other cases remained under verification. In July, the Chief Minister said eligible women who had not yet received the benefit would be covered after the verification process was completed.
The latest Bardhaman announcement therefore focuses specifically on applicants whose verification has already been approved but whose payments are still pending.
The administration will now have to complete the remaining payment process within the timeline announced by the Chief Minister, particularly as Durga Puja approaches.
