You can apply for Annapurna Bhandar online right now at socialregistry.wb.gov.in. Just use your mobile number and an OTP. The process is completely free and takes about 15 minutes if you have your documents ready.

At a Glance

Detail	Information
Official Portal	socialregistry.wb.gov.in
Last Date	25 August 2026
Monthly Benefit	₹3,000 (₹36,000 per year)
Application Fee	₹0 (completely free)
Who Can Apply	Women aged 25–60, permanent residents of West Bengal
Mode	Online + Offline

What Is Annapurna Bhandar?

Annapurna Bhandar is the new monthly cash scheme from the West Bengal government. Eligible women get ₹3,000 every month directly in their Aadhaar-linked bank account.

It replaces the old Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. Earlier, women got ₹1,000 to ₹1,700 depending on their category. Now everyone who qualifies gets the same flat ₹3,000.

The cabinet cleared it on 11 May 2026. Official notification came on 19 May 2026. The scheme started from 1 June 2026.

Most women who were getting Lakshmir Bhandar are being moved automatically. You don’t need to apply again if your name is clean. But if your name was removed during the voter list revision (dead, shifted, deleted, or absentee), you’ll need to apply fresh.

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility)

You can apply if you meet all these points:

You are a woman
You are between 25 and 60 years old
You are a permanent resident of West Bengal
You are not an income tax payer
You are not a permanent or retired government employee

This includes people working in panchayats, municipalities, statutory bodies, and government-aided schools or colleges.

Who Cannot Apply? (Ineligibility)

You will not get the benefit if:

You are a permanent or retired government employee
You get regular salary or pension from any government body
You work in a teaching or non-teaching post in a government-aided school or college
You pay income tax
You are not a permanent resident of West Bengal

Documents You Need

Keep these ready before you start:

Aadhaar card (name spelling must match exactly)
Single-holder bank account in your name (must be linked to Aadhaar)
Ration card
Voter card (EPIC number + AC and Part numbers)
Passport-size photo
Active mobile number for OTP

How Do I Apply for Annapurna Bhandar Online?

You apply on the Social Registry West Bengal portal by verifying your mobile number with an OTP, filling in the seven-section Family Level Data Collection form, and submitting it with your consent declaration. Here’s the exact flow:

Open socialregistry.wb.gov.in in your phone or computer browser and click “Access Citizen Portal”. Type the address yourself — don’t follow links forwarded on WhatsApp.
[Screenshot: Portal homepage with Access Citizen Portal button]
Select your district from the dropdown list.
[Screenshot: District selection screen]
Enter your mobile number, type the captcha, and click “Request OTP”. Enter the 6-digit code that arrives on your phone. If the OTP doesn’t come, wait two minutes and retry — and check that your number is active. There’s a “Change Mobile Number” option before verification if you’ve typed it wrong.
[Screenshot: Mobile number and OTP verification screen]
Fill in the seven sections of the form: Basic Information, Ration Card Details, Asset Details, Income & Profession, Identity Documents, Government Scheme Benefits, and Family Identity Details. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your Aadhaar. In the Government Scheme Benefits section, list any DBT benefits you already receive, such as Swasthya Sathi or Lakshmir Bhandar — and if you see a “Want to opt out” option, keep it set to No, or you’ll stop your existing payments.
[Screenshot: Family Level Data Collection form — Basic Information section]
Add other family members using the “Add Member” button. The form is built around the Head of Family (HOF) — usually the senior-most member of the household. If the woman applying for the ₹3,000 benefit isn’t the HOF, she must be added as a family member.
[Screenshot: Add Member screen]
Review everything, then tick the declaration and consent checkbox. Check the details twice — the portal doesn’t let you edit an application after submission.
Submit and save your temporary application number. Write it down or screenshot it. You’ll need it to track your application and for any correction requests later.
[Screenshot: Submission confirmation with application reference number]

Applied on 3 June 2026? The portal changed its form format right after launch. If you submitted an application on 3 June using the older form, log in again and submit a fresh one in the new format. The old submission won’t be processed.

⚠️ Watch out for fake websites. Only West Bengal government sites ending in .gov.in are official — socialregistry.wb.gov.in for applications and socialsecurity.wb.gov.in for status checks and form downloads. Lookalike sites on .com, .online, or .co.in domains have flooded search results since the scheme launched. Never enter your Aadhaar number, bank details, or OTP on any of them, and never pay anyone a “processing fee” — there is no fee, anywhere, at any stage.

Can’t Apply Online? Here’s the Offline Route

Yes, you can apply offline. Collect the printed form from your Block Development Office (BDO), SDO office, or municipal office. The form is available in Bengali, English, and Hindi — you can also download the official PDF from the government portal and print it at home.

The state has been running outreach camps as well. Janakalyan Shibir camps ran across West Bengal from 15 to 17 June 2026 with dedicated Annapurna Bhandar counters, and more Duare Sarkar-style camps are expected before the deadline. If filling forms online isn’t your thing, these camps are the easiest option — officials help you complete the form on the spot.

Whichever route you take, submit the filled form with self-attested copies of your documents, and keep the acknowledgement receipt safe. That receipt is your proof of application and your key to checking status later.

Already Applied or Auto-Migrated? Here’s What Happens Next

Once your application is in, verification happens at the block level before your name enters the beneficiary list. The list is refreshed every seven days, so if your name isn’t there this week, check again after the next update before rushing to an office.

Check your status online: Log in at the portal with your registered mobile number and OTP, then open your beneficiary profile. You can also use the Track Application option on socialsecurity.wb.gov.in with your application reference number.

Check your status offline: Visit your BDO or municipal office with your acknowledgement receipt or application number, and an official will look it up for you.

Here’s what each status means and what to do about it:

Status	What it means	What to do
Approved	You’re on the beneficiary list	Nothing — payment arrives in the next DBT cycle
Pending at BDO/SDO	Verification is still in progress	Wait for the next weekly list update; visit the BDO only if it’s stuck for weeks
Rejected	Your application failed verification	Ask the BDO office for the reason; you can reapply with corrections before 25 August 2026
Bank account invalid	Your account isn’t Aadhaar-seeded or is inactive	Fix the Aadhaar–NPCI seeding at your bank branch right away (see below)

When will the money come?

Payments go out monthly through Direct Benefit Transfer. The first installment was released on 3 June 2026, reaching 28,25,769 women at the launch event at Nabanna. The second installment followed on 1 July 2026, announced at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, by which point coverage had crossed 1 crore beneficiaries. The government expects the final pool to settle at around 2 crore women once the application window closes.

If you’re approved, expect your first payment in the monthly cycle after your name appears on the list.

My payment failed. What now?

The most common reason is a broken Aadhaar–bank link. Your account must be seeded with Aadhaar on the NPCI mapper — this is different from just giving your Aadhaar copy to the bank. Visit your branch, ask them to check your NPCI seeding status, and get it activated. Also confirm the account is active, in your name alone, and that the name spelling matches your Aadhaar. Roughly 30 lakh records were removed from the database during verification for issues like these plus duplicate and outdated entries, so it’s worth fixing early.

What Is the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme, Exactly?

Annapurna Bhandar (also written Annapurna Yojana or Annapurna Bhandar Prakalpo) is a monthly cash-transfer scheme run by the Government of West Bengal. It pays ₹3,000 per month to eligible women aged 25–60, directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. The scheme was cleared at the state cabinet’s first meeting on 11 May 2026, formally notified on 19 May 2026, and rolled out from 1 June 2026.

It replaces the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme, which had been running since 2021 and paid between ₹1,000 and ₹1,700 a month depending on social category. Annapurna Bhandar removes those category-based slabs — every eligible woman gets the same flat ₹3,000.

Most Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries are being migrated automatically — no new application needed. The exceptions are names flagged during the SIR 2026 voter-roll revision as dead, shifted, deleted, or absentee electors, and names deleted after the draft list was published. If you were flagged this way but believe you’re eligible, you’ll need to submit a fresh application before 25 August 2026. One carve-out: women whose names were deleted from voter rolls but who have applied for citizenship under the CAA, with cases pending before tribunals, continue to receive benefits until their cases are resolved.

FAQs

What is the last date to apply for Annapurna Bhandar?

25 August 2026. The application window runs for 90 days from 27 May 2026, and it applies to both online and offline applications.

Can I apply from my mobile phone?

Yes. The portal works on any mobile browser — open socialregistry.wb.gov.in, verify your number with an OTP, and fill in the form. You don’t need a computer or a cyber café, though Tathya Mitra Kendras can help if you’d rather not do it yourself.

Can I edit my application after submission?

No. Once submitted, the form can’t be edited through your citizen login. Review every detail carefully before ticking the declaration checkbox. If you spot an error afterwards, take your application reference number to your BDO office and ask about a correction request.

Is this the same as the Central Government’s Annapurna Yojana?

No. The Central Government’s Annapurna Yojana gives 10 kg of free food grain per month to destitute senior citizens above 65. Annapurna Bhandar is a West Bengal state scheme that pays ₹3,000 a month in cash to women aged 25–60. Same name, entirely different schemes.

Is there a helpline number?

The state hasn’t published a dedicated Annapurna Bhandar helpline yet. For now, your BDO office, SDO office, or municipal office is the official point of contact for any application issue. Be careful with “helpline numbers” circulating on social media — several belong to scammers.

When will payment come after approval?

In the next monthly DBT cycle after your name appears on the beneficiary list. The list updates every seven days, and installments have so far been released at the start of each month (3 June and 1 July 2026).

What if my bank account shows invalid?

It usually means your account isn’t Aadhaar-seeded on the NPCI mapper, or it’s inactive or a joint account. Visit your bank branch, ask them to activate NPCI Aadhaar seeding for that account, and make sure it’s a single-holder account in your name. Once fixed, the payment resumes in a following cycle — you don’t need to reapply.

Annapurna Bhandar is still in its rollout phase, and details like deadlines, portal features, and camp schedules can change at short notice. Always confirm the latest position on the official portal at socialregistry.wb.gov.in or with your local BDO office before acting on any date or link. This article is for general information and doesn’t replace official government communication.