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West Bengal Transfers First Annapurna Yojana Funds to 1.1 Crore Women; 26 Lakh Applications Rejected

Published on: 01 Jul 2026, 10:11 AM

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Wednesday that the first tranche of funds under the Annapurna Yojana — a financial assistance scheme for women — has been transferred to nearly 1.1 crore beneficiaries.

Speaking at the scheme's official launch at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, Mr. Adhikari stated that 1.6 crore applications were received, of which 26 lakh were rejected due to doubts over citizenship and domicile status.

“Twenty-six lakh applications under the Annapurna Yojana have been rejected. Scrutiny is necessary,” he said. The scheme provides a monthly allowance of ₹3,000 to eligible women, replacing the previous Lakshmir Bhandar programme.

The Chief Minister justified the rejections, saying, “We cannot transfer taxpayers’ money from the government coffers to non-Indians.” He added that eligible beneficiaries were identified before the transfer.

Source: The Hindu

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