Annapurna Yojana beneficiaries will receive ₹3,000 on September 17, while fresh applications for welfare schemes are expected in November-December.
Qalam Times News Network
Kolkata, September 7, 2026
Annapurna Yojana: ₹3,000 Payment on September 17, Fresh Applications Soon
Annapurna Yojana beneficiaries are set to receive their August instalment on September 17, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, according to an announcement made by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Eligible beneficiaries will receive ₹3,000 in their bank accounts, with the government saying that around 1.48 crore women will benefit from the payment.
The Annapurna Yojana payment is part of a wider announcement concerning the state’s social welfare programmes. The Chief Minister also said that people who are not genuinely eligible for government assistance should voluntarily surrender the benefits they are receiving. At the same time, the government has decided to scrap the pending waiting lists maintained under social welfare schemes of the previous administration.
According to the announcement, fresh opportunities to apply for the Annapurna Yojana and other government welfare programmes will be available during welfare camps scheduled for November and December. Applications submitted through welfare camps after the new government came to power will be considered as part of the revised process.
The state government provides monthly financial assistance to elderly people, widows and persons with disabilities. The amount, which was earlier ₹1,000, has reportedly been increased to ₹1,500 under the present administration.
At an event held at Nabanna on Monday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari distributed benefits to recipients of old-age pensions, widow pensions and disability allowances. During his address, he raised concerns over alleged irregularities and fraudulent claims involving welfare schemes.
Referring to an incident in Chandrakona in West Midnapore, the Chief Minister claimed that a man had been arrested for allegedly attempting to receive a widow’s pension. He further alleged that some individuals were obtaining welfare benefits by manipulating their age and submitting false certificates.
The government, he said, is now undertaking a detailed scrutiny of applications and beneficiary records to identify cases involving false documentation or ineligible recipients.
The Chief Minister appealed to beneficiaries who do not meet the eligibility criteria to immediately discontinue their welfare benefits. According to figures presented by the government, old-age, widow and disability allowances are currently being provided to 83,05,919 beneficiaries, involving an estimated annual expenditure of approximately ₹14,771 crore.
A major policy announcement concerned the waiting lists maintained for various social welfare schemes under the previous government. Chief Minister Adhikari said these lists would now be cancelled altogether.
Instead, the administration will consider applications submitted through welfare camps after the present government assumed office. The move is being presented as an attempt to re-examine the beneficiary selection process and ensure that government assistance reaches eligible applicants.
The administration is also planning another round of Jan Kalyan Camps at the gram panchayat and municipal levels in November and December. Residents will be able to submit applications for different welfare schemes through these camps.
Widow pension beneficiaries may shift to Annapurna Yojana
The Chief Minister has also urged widowed women between the ages of 25 and 60 to consider opting out of the widow pension and applying for the Annapurna Yojana, subject to eligibility.
Under the scheme, eligible women in this age group could receive ₹3,000 per month, compared with the existing widow pension of ₹1,500. The proposed shift is expected to provide greater monthly financial assistance to eligible women.
The government has also announced an additional provision for women with disabilities. According to the Chief Minister, women with disabilities aged between 25 and 60 will not only continue to receive disability-related assistance but may also qualify for Annapurna Yojana benefits.
The government estimates that around 1.34 lakh women with disabilities could receive a combined benefit amounting to ₹4,500 per month, subject to the applicable eligibility conditions.
During the announcement, the Chief Minister also claimed that the state government’s revenue collection has increased substantially since the BJP government came to power.
According to the figures cited by him, revenue collection has risen by approximately 18 per cent compared with the previous financial year.
The government has linked the increase in revenue collection with its ability to expand and finance social welfare programmes, although the figures and their wider fiscal implications remain matters of political and administrative assessment.
Statewide events from September 17 to October 7
The Chief Minister further announced that the West Bengal government would organise a series of programmes across the state from September 17 to October 7.
The events will mark what the government described as the completion of 25 years of administrative service involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, combining his tenure as Chief Minister and Prime Minister.
The September 17 payment under the Annapurna Yojana, along with the proposed welfare camps in November and December, is therefore expected to form part of a broader programme of welfare-related announcements and public events across West Bengal.
