Summary of this article
Women to receive Rs 3,000 monthly.
Applications accepted through local offices.
DBT transfers linked to bank accounts.
The West Bengal government had launched the Annapurna Scheme, which is a welfare initiative aimed at providing financial support to women. Under this scheme, eligible women will receive a monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000. This amount is to be directly transferred into their registered bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. This move is seen as one of the most significant welfare announcements in the state.
This scheme is expected to replace or expand the previous Lakshmir Bhandar programme, according to a report by PTI. The Lakshmir Bhandar provided monthly aid to women from the economically weaker households. This scheme provided lower monthly assistance, whereas the Annapurna scheme will provide a substantial increase in monetary assistance. Women who are already covered under the Lakshmir Bhandar programme will be shifted to the new system once the verification is completed.
How To Enrol Offline?
One can reach out to the municipal office or the Panchayat office and collect the Annapurna form. The government is also organising a Janakalyan Shibir across the state from June 15-17. Here, applicants can submit their Annapurna Yojana application forms.
How To Check The Status Of The Payment?
Check Your Bank Account: The easiest way to make sure you have received the payment is by checking your bank account balance, through Netbanking, mobile banking apps, ATM transactions or passbook updates.
Visit the Annapurna Portal: The state government has also launched the official portal of this scheme, where the beneficiaries can ensure the status of the payment as well as track the application.
Verify Aadhaar-Bank Linking: Since this is a DBT-based scheme, beneficiaries can ensure that their Aadhaar number is linked correctly to their respective bank account.
Essentials of the Scheme
This initiative aims to financially empower women who rely on informal or low-income sources. This assistance is expected to help the beneficiaries manage daily household expenses, healthcare costs, education-related spending, and expenses towards other essential needs. The scheme provides direct financial support to women in order to improve their decision-making ability in the household as well as provide security to vulnerable families.
The scheme is reportedly focusing on women belonging to low-income and economically weaker sections of society. Though a detailed eligibility criterion has not yet been released, applicants are required to provide their identity proof, Aadhaar linkage, residence documents, and bank account details for enrolment under the new scheme.
