Today, September 17—Prime Minister Modi's birthday—brings significant and wonderful news for women. The West Bengal government is observing the day as 'Annapurna Diwas,' and as part of this initiative, financial assistance of ₹3,000 is being transferred to the bank accounts of eligible women in the state.

According to information provided by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, approximately 1.58 crore women will receive this amount directly in their bank accounts this month through the scheme. Let us explore the key details of the 'Annapurna Yojana' and understand which women are eligible under the new rules.

What is the Annapurna Yojana?
In June, 28 lakh women received funds under this scheme; this figure rose to 1.19 crore in July. Now, with the addition of approximately 10 lakh more women in September, the total number of beneficiaries has crossed the 1.58 crore mark. Under the scheme, women receive ₹3,000 per month, amounting to ₹36,000 annually. This amount is deposited directly into the women's bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Fulfilling an Election Promise
During the West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP had promised in its manifesto to provide ₹3,000 per month to women. After coming to power, the 'Annapurna Yojana' was implemented—replacing older schemes (such as Lakshmi Bhandar)—to provide this monthly sum of ₹3,000.

Who is eligible for the scheme?
The government recently modified several rules regarding the scheme in August to ensure that a larger number of rural women could benefit from it. The scheme is available to women aged between 25 and 60 years. Women with a personal monthly income exceeding ₹10,000, or those belonging to families with an annual income of more than ₹12 lakh, are not considered eligible for this scheme.

Previously, rural women were deemed ineligible if their homes had more than three rooms or if they owned more than 50 decimals of land. Following the Chief Minister's new announcement, no one will be excluded from the scheme solely on this ground. Additionally, if a woman receives less than ₹3,000 from a disability pension or any other government scheme, the government will bridge the gap through the Annapurna Yojana.

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