If you’ve searched for Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme recently, you’ve probably also come across the name “Annapurna Yojana” or “Annapurna Bhandar.” That’s not a coincidence, and it’s important information — because the scheme has gone through a major change in 2026 that every existing and prospective beneficiary should know about.
This guide covers everything about Lakshmir Bhandar: what the scheme was, who it was designed for, how much it paid, and — most importantly — what has changed recently and what you need to do now if you were relying on it.
Objectives of the Scheme
Lakshmir Bhandar was built around a few core goals:
- Giving women a steady, independent source of income
- Reducing financial dependence within the household
- Supporting families with no stable income source
- Improving access to formal banking for women, since the money moved through Direct Benefit Transfer
- Strengthening overall social security for women across both rural and urban West Bengal
The scheme paid particular attention to women who were not already covered by a government salary or pension, so that support reached households that needed it the most.
Eligibility Criteria (Under the Original Scheme)
To qualify for Lakshmir Bhandar, an applicant generally needed to meet these conditions:
- Be a permanent resident of West Bengal
- Be a woman between 25 and 60 years of age
- Be recognised as the head of her family for the purpose of the application
- Belong to an economically weaker household
- Not be employed in a government job
- Not be receiving a government pension
- Not be an income tax payer
Women from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities were placed in a separate benefit slab and received a higher monthly amount than the general category.
How Much Did Lakshmir Bhandar Pay?
The monthly benefit under Lakshmir Bhandar was revised more than once since the scheme began:
- At launch in 2021, general category women received ₹500 per month, while SC/ST women received ₹1,000.
- The amount was later increased, taking general category payments to ₹1,000 and SC/ST payments to ₹1,200 per month.
- Payments were credited directly to the beneficiary’s own Aadhaar-linked bank account every month, with no cash handling involved.
Applications were originally processed through a mix of government outreach camps — widely known as Duare Sarkar camps — along with online submission, and local bodies such as panchayats and municipalities played a large role in identifying and verifying beneficiaries.
Lakshmir Bhandar vs. Annapurna Yojana at a Glance
| Detail | Lakshmir Bhandar (Original) | Annapurna Yojana (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2021, by the then TMC government | June 2026, by the new BJP government |
| Monthly Amount | ₹500–₹1,000 at launch, later ₹1,000/₹1,200 | Flat ₹3,000 for all eligible women |
| Category Split | Separate rates for general and SC/ST | No category-based difference |
| New Applications | Closed; no longer accepting fresh entries | Existing scheme, replaces Lakshmir Bhandar |
| Existing Beneficiaries | Migrated to the new scheme, with exceptions | Continue receiving the higher amount |
| Application Mode | Duare Sarkar camps and online portal | Online portal and BDO/SDO/Municipality offices |
| Governing Department | Dept. of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare | Same department |
Important 2026 Update: What Happened to Lakshmir Bhandar
Here is the part that matters most if you’re reading this in or after 2026.
Following the West Bengal assembly election held in April–May 2026, the BJP won a large majority of seats, ending 15 years of continuous TMC-led governance in the state, and Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister in May 2026. One of the new government’s early decisions, cleared by the state cabinet on 11 May 2026, was to restructure Lakshmir Bhandar into a new scheme called Annapurna Yojana, also referred to as Annapurna Bhandar or Mukhyamantri Annapurna Bhandar.
Under Annapurna Yojana:
- The flat monthly benefit rose to ₹3,000 for every eligible woman, with the earlier general/SC-ST split removed entirely.
- Benefits went live from 1 June 2026, with the first Direct Benefit Transfer payments credited on 3 June 2026.
- The scheme runs through the same Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare, and continues to use the state’s existing DBT infrastructure.
- A large-scale re-verification exercise was carried out on the full Lakshmir Bhandar database of around 2.2 crore beneficiaries, checking Aadhaar linkage, residency, and voter-roll records.
In short: Lakshmir Bhandar, as a standalone scheme, is no longer accepting fresh applications. Its beneficiaries and its administrative framework have been carried forward into Annapurna Yojana, at a significantly higher monthly amount.
Are Existing Lakshmir Bhandar Beneficiaries Still Covered?
Most women who were already receiving Lakshmir Bhandar payments have been automatically migrated to Annapurna Yojana, with no need to submit a fresh application. However, migration was not universal. During the transition, beneficiary records were cross-checked against the state’s 2026 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and automatic migration did not apply to entries that were flagged as:
- Belonging to a person who has passed away
- Belonging to someone who has permanently moved out of West Bengal
- Marked as an absentee or otherwise removed elector during the SIR exercise
- Duplicate or otherwise invalid applications
If your Lakshmir Bhandar payments have stopped and you’re not sure why, checking whether your name was affected by one of these categories is usually the first thing to look into — it explains the majority of cases where payments paused during the transition.
How to Check Your Status Now
Since Lakshmir Bhandar’s records and infrastructure now feed into Annapurna Yojana, you check your status through the same official channels used for the new scheme:
- Go to the official West Bengal Social Security portal (a .gov.in address only — avoid any similarly named .com or .in site).
- Look for the Citizen or Family Login option.
- Select your district from the list.
- Enter the mobile number registered against your original Lakshmir Bhandar application.
- Verify the OTP sent to that number.
- Your dashboard will show your current status — whether you’ve been migrated to Annapurna Yojana, whether verification is still pending, or whether your record was flagged during the review.
If your record shows as flagged or rejected, most portals now include an “Objection & Claim” option so you can contest the decision without filing a completely new application. You can also raise the issue in person at your nearest BDO office, Municipality office, or Bangla Sahayata Kendra (BSK), where staff can help correct bank account details, update Aadhaar linkage, or clarify why a record was removed.
What to Do If Your Payment Has Stopped
If your Lakshmir Bhandar payments have stopped and your status check doesn’t give a clear answer, work through these checks in order:
- Confirm your Aadhaar number is correctly linked (seeded) to an active bank account.
- Make sure the bank account mentioned in your original application hasn’t been closed or frozen.
- Check whether your name appeared in any list of entries removed during the SIR-linked verification drive.
- Visit your bank branch to confirm your account is still active and correctly seeded with Aadhaar.
- If everything on your end looks correct, raise a formal objection through the portal or visit your local welfare office with your Aadhaar card, bank passbook, and any acknowledgment slip from your original application.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Lakshmir Bhandar still active in 2026? Lakshmir Bhandar is no longer running as a separate scheme accepting new applications. It has been restructured into Annapurna Yojana, which pays a higher flat monthly amount to eligible women.
2. Do I need to apply again if I was already getting Lakshmir Bhandar? Most existing beneficiaries were migrated automatically and do not need to reapply. You should still log in to the official portal to confirm your migration and updated payment amount.
3. How much does the new scheme pay compared to Lakshmir Bhandar? Lakshmir Bhandar’s most recent rates were ₹1,000 per month for general category women and ₹1,200 for SC/ST women. Under Annapurna Yojana, every eligible woman now receives a flat ₹3,000 per month.
4. Why did my Lakshmir Bhandar payment stop? The most common reasons are a record flagged during the 2026 voter-roll verification drive, an Aadhaar-bank linking issue, or an inactive bank account. Checking your status on the official portal will usually show the exact reason.
5. Which website should I use to check my old Lakshmir Bhandar status? Use only the official West Bengal government social security portal, ending in .gov.in. It continues to hold historical Lakshmir Bhandar records alongside the new Annapurna Yojana data.
6. What documents do I need if I have to correct my record? Keep your Aadhaar card, bank passbook, voter ID, and any acknowledgment slip from your original Lakshmir Bhandar application ready — these are usually enough to resolve most corrections at your local office.
7. Is there any fee to check status or fix an error in my application? No. Checking your status and raising an objection through the official portal or local government office is completely free. Do not pay anyone who claims they can “fix” or “speed up” your record for a fee.