Bengal Rejects 26 Lakh Annapurna Yojana Applications Over Citizenship Doubts

West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state government has rejected 26 lakh applications for the Annapurna Yojana, a monthly financial assistance scheme for women. The first tranche of payments, ₹3,000 per beneficiary, has been transferred to roughly 1.1 crore eligible women, Adhikari said at the official launch in Kolkata on Wednesday.

The state received about 1.6 crore applications in total. The 26 lakh rejections came after scrutiny flagged doubts over citizenship and domicile status, according to a PTI report cited by the Chief Minister.

"We cannot transfer taxpayers' money from the government coffers to non-Indians," Adhikari said, defending the verification process.

The Annapurna Yojana replaces the Lakshmir Bhandar programme, which was implemented under the previous Trinamool Congress government. Adhikari said eligible beneficiaries were identified before the first instalment was deposited directly into their bank accounts.

The scheme targets women with a monthly payout of ₹3,000. The government maintained that the verification process was essential before releasing public funds.

Adhikari said the volume of applications – 1.6 crore – reflected widespread interest in the scheme across the state. The 26 lakh rejections represent roughly 16% of the total applications received.

The Chief Minister did not specify a timeline for the next tranche of payments or provide details on the appeal process for rejected applicants.