Annapurna Yojana rejection: CM Adhikari details how women can reapply for Rs 3,000 scheme

On Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari revealed plans to launch a dedicated online portal for rejected applicants of the Annapurna Yojana. This portal will enable women denied the Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to reapply, as well as report ineligible recipients currently receiving the grant. During a BJP's Mahila Morcha event in Kolkata, Adhikari announced that 1.45 crore women aged 25-60 have been enrolled as beneficiaries thus far, while 17 lakh applications have been rejected and 14 lakh cases are under verification.

Adhikari stated that all women aged 25-60, barring specific exclusions, will receive the financial support under the scheme. Those who missed out on the initial application can lodge their claims or complaints through the dedicated portal using their form number and bank account details. To ensure no genuine applicant is left out, the state's Mahila Morcha will conduct door-to-door visits.

Defending the decision to use new application forms and thorough background checks instead of relying on the previous administration's Lakshmir Bhandar recipient database, Adhikari alleged irregularities in the older records. He explained that the exclusion of male beneficiaries, non-citizens, and deceased individuals from the new list prevents potential misuse of government funds.

The disbursement of the first batch of funds began in June, expanded to 1.28 crore in July, and reached 1.45 crore this month following relaxed evaluation norms. Beneficiary bank accounts are expected to receive the August disbursements by August 20.