Annapurna Bhandar New Eligibility Rule: Updated August 2026

WB Government has revised their eligibility criteria for Annaprna Yojana on 12th August 2026

Table of Contents

Highlights:-

The eligibility criteria for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme have been revised.
Eligibile women will receive Rs.3,000 per month.

Website:- https://socialsecurity.wb.gov.in

New Eligibility Criteria For Annapurna Bhandar

The beneficiary’s age should be between 25-60 years old.
Monthly income of beneficiary should not be exceed Rs.10,000.
Annual family income should be less than Rs.12 lakhs.
Beneficiary’s residential house should not have more than 3 rooms. This rule has been exempted for rural areas.
Women who receiving benefits under other government scheme like (Widow pension), they still get only one monthly allowance ₹3,000/month under Annapurna Bhandar.
Special exception: But women who receiving disability pension or PM Kisan Samman Nidhi can receive benefit from both scheme.
The beneniciary should not won more than 50 decimal of land in municiapal corporation areas. This rule has been exempted for rural and municipal areas.

Note- [Here “Corporations Areas” refers to the following 7 Municipal Corporations of West Bengal]

Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Howrah Municipal Corporation
Asansol Municipal Corporation
Durgapur Municipal Corporation
Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation
Siliguri Municipal Corporation
Chandannagore Municipal Corporation

The Government of West Bengal has announced revised eligibility criteria for the social welfare flagship scheme, Annapurna Bhandar. The Chief Minister of West Bengal announced the revised eligibility criteria for this scheme at a recent press conference held at State Secretariat, Nabnna Bhaban on 12 August 2026.

Name of the Scheme	Annapurna Bhandar
Launched	1 June, 2026
Beneficiary	Eligibile women citizens of West Bengal
Benefits	Financial assistance of Rs.3,000/- per month
Nodal Agency	Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare

Although the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme has stricter eligibility criteria in some areas, the Government of West Bengal has relaxed several eligibility criteria to ensure that more women will get benefits from this scheme. Benificiaries must reach the revised eligibility criteria to receive a monthly allowance of Rs.3,000/- per month under the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme.

Complain Portal

Along with this, the Chief Minister of West Bengal also announced that a dedicated Complaint Portal will be introduced soon to file complaint related to Annapurna Bhandar Scheme. If any eligible woman’s name is rejected from the beneficiaries list and if any eligible woman will not receive Rs.3,000 allowance under the scheme, she will be able Wto file a complaint on the dedicated Complain Portal or Abhiyog Portal.

FAQ:-

What is the age limit for Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

Beneficiary’s age should be between 25-60 Years old.

What is the monthly income limitation for Annapurna Bhandar beneficiary?

The beneficiary’s monthly income should not be exceed Rs.10,000.

What is the income limitation for the beneficiary’s family?

Total family income of beneficiary should not be exceed Rs.12 lakhs per annum.

Will Widowed women receive benefits under Annapurna Bhandar Scheme?

Yes, widowed women aged between 25-60 years old will receive Rs.3,000 per month under Annapurna Bhandar Scheme instead of widow pension.

Will beneficiary of Disability Pension Scheme and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme receive financial assistance under Annapurna Bhandar?

Yes, women who are already receiving benefits from Disability Pension Scheme and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme will receive Rs.3,000 monthly financial assistance under Annapurna Bhandar Scheme along with the financial assistance of the respective schemes.

As announced by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Rs.3,000/- will be credited directly to the eligibile women’s bank account from 17 August 2026. Amount will be credited only to those women whose details have been verified.

From September 2026 Rs.3,000 allowance will be credited during the second week of every month. The monthly allowance of Rs.3,000 is expected to be credited between 10th-15th day of every month.