West Bengal is buzzing right now, and the reason is the Annapurna Yojana. Thousands of women across the state did not receive their monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 in July 2026, and that silence in their bank accounts turned into loud protests on the streets. From Purba Medinipur to Murshidabad, from Bankura to Howrah, angry women threw eggs at government officials and surrounded local administrators. However, Nabanna has now stepped in with a clear message and a new solution. The Annapurna portal edit option is coming soon, and it might just fix everything.
Annapurna Yojana Protests: What Is Happening Across West Bengal?
The anger did not come from nowhere. In multiple districts of West Bengal, women who previously received money under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme found that their Annapurna Yojana payment stopped suddenly in July. Naturally, frustration boiled over fast. Women in Chief Minister’s home district Purba Medinipur staged strong protests. Meanwhile, in Howrah, which is home to the state secretariat Nabanna, similar demonstrations took place on the streets.
Moreover, in districts like Murshidabad, Bankura, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Burdwan, protesters threw raw eggs at Block Development Officers and municipal workers. In some areas, panchayat heads were surrounded by angry crowds. Additionally, municipal officials were briefly detained by protestors. The core issue is simple: many women applied for Annapurna Yojana, but their applications got rejected, and they had no idea why.
Nabanna’s Response: No Need to Fear, Money Will Continue
In response to the growing unrest, Nabanna sent out a calm and reassuring message. Officials confirmed that more than one crore women in West Bengal are currently receiving Rs 3,000 per month under the Annapurna Yojana scheme, and this payment will continue without interruption. Therefore, women who are already approved have absolutely no reason to panic.
Furthermore, Nabanna addressed the financial concerns head-on. While the state treasury does face some pressure, the government has already allocated Rs 36,000 crore specifically for Annapurna Yojana in its first budget. Consequently, running this scheme will not be a problem in the near future. The BJP-led state government also benefits from the “double engine” advantage of both state and central support, which strengthens the financial backbone of the scheme.
Annapurna Portal Edit Option: The Big Fix Coming Soon
Here is the most important update that every applicant needs to know. Nabanna has announced that a new edit option on the Annapurna Yojana portal is being launched very soon. This feature will allow rejected applicants to log back into the portal and correct any mistakes they made during the original form submission.
Additionally, this edit option will show applicants the exact reason why their application was rejected in the first place. Until now, women had no way of knowing what went wrong. However, with this new feature, they will be able to check their eligibility status, understand why they were excluded, and submit corrected information. In other words, the portal will become much more transparent and user-friendly for ordinary women across the state.
Why Were So Many Applications Rejected? The Real Reasons
This is the question that most women are asking right now. According to Nabanna sources, the primary reasons for rejection are surprisingly technical. In many cases, the applicant’s mobile number was not linked to their Aadhaar card. In other cases, women provided a different mobile number while applying for Annapurna than the one registered under their Aadhaar.
Moreover, a significant number of rejections happened because the same mobile number was already linked to another government scheme such as PM Kisan. As a result, the system flagged these applications as duplicates or ineligible. Only a small portion of rejections involved income tax payers or financially ineligible applicants. Therefore, the majority of rejected women are actually eligible and simply need to correct their information on the portal.
| Rejection Reason | Details |
|---|---|
| Mobile not linked to Aadhaar | Very common issue among former Lakshmi Bhandar recipients |
| Different number used earlier | Number mismatch between schemes |
| Number used in PM Kisan | Same mobile linked to multiple schemes |
| Income tax payer | Financially ineligible applicants excluded |
| Government employee status | State employees are not eligible for Annapurna |
Annapurna Yojana vs Lakshmi Bhandar: Key Differences Explained
To understand the current situation better, it helps to compare both schemes side by side. Under Mamata Banerjee’s government, the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme provided financial help to nearly 22 million women. Each woman received an average of Rs 1,500 per month, and the state spent around Rs 3,300 crore every month on this alone.
However, the new Annapurna Yojana targets women between the ages of 25 and 60 who are genuinely eligible. Women who are government employees or income tax payers are excluded. On the other hand, the benefit amount is double, at Rs 3,000 per month. According to initial estimates, around 1.7 crore women will eventually receive this benefit. Consequently, the state’s monthly expenditure under Annapurna is expected to be around Rs 5,100 crore, which is higher than Lakshmi Bhandar’s costs.
| Feature | Lakshmi Bhandar | Annapurna Yojana |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Benefit | Rs 1,500 (average) | Rs 3,000 |
| Beneficiaries | Around 2.2 crore | Around 1.7 crore (estimated) |
| Monthly State Cost | Rs 3,300 crore | Rs 5,100 crore (estimated) |
| Exclusions | Minimal | Govt employees, IT payers excluded |
| Age Group | 18 and above | 25 to 60 years |
Application Status: How Many Approved, Rejected, and Pending?
Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agrawal shared the latest numbers last Sunday. A total of 1 crore 62 lakh women submitted applications for the Annapurna Yojana. Out of these, 1 crore 22 lakh applications have been approved and the money is flowing. However, more than 27 lakh applications have been rejected for various reasons.
Furthermore, the government has set a deadline of July 10 to complete the verification of all rejected applications. Therefore, applicants who have been rejected should watch the portal closely in the coming days. In addition, once the edit option goes live, these rejected applicants will get a fresh chance to correct their information and resubmit for approval.
Why Did Some Women Get Money in June But Not July?
Many women received their Annapurna payment in June but suddenly stopped receiving it in July. This has caused a lot of confusion and, understandably, a great deal of anxiety. Nabanna officials explained that some of these women were initially transferred from the Lakshmi Bhandar database. However, when the government re-verified their data, discrepancies came to light.
In fact, one official explained it simply: “There are several cases where we try to send money but it does not go through.” This happens because of data mismatches that were not caught in the first round of verification. Consequently, these women’s payments have been temporarily stopped until their information is corrected. Moreover, the upcoming edit option on the portal will directly solve this problem by allowing these women to update and verify their details.
What Should Rejected Applicants Do Right Now?
If your Annapurna Yojana application was rejected, do not panic. Instead, wait for the portal’s edit option to go live, which should happen very soon according to Nabanna. Once the feature is available, log into the Annapurna Yojana portal and check why your application was rejected. In most cases, the issue is simply a mobile number or Aadhaar linking problem that can be corrected quickly.
Additionally, make sure your mobile number is correctly linked to your Aadhaar card before resubmitting. If you are using the same number for multiple government schemes, be prepared for the system to flag it. However, the government has assured that truly eligible women will definitely receive their Rs 3,000 monthly allowance. So, the key message from Nabanna is this: eligible women have nothing to fear, and the system is being fixed.
FAQs
The Annapurna Yojana portal edit option is a new feature being launched by the West Bengal government that allows rejected applicants to log in, check the reason for their rejection, correct any mistakes in their application such as mobile number or Aadhaar details, and resubmit for reconsideration.
Most rejections happen due to a mobile number not being linked to the Aadhaar card, a different number used during the original application, or the same mobile number being registered under another government scheme like PM Kisan. A small number of rejections involve income tax payers and government employees who are not eligible.
Eligible women between the ages of 25 and 60 receive Rs 3,000 per month under the Annapurna Yojana scheme launched by the BJP government in West Bengal.
Some women who received money in June under Annapurna Yojana did not receive it in July because their data was re-verified and discrepancies were found, including mobile number mismatches linked to Aadhaar. The government is working to fix these issues through the upcoming portal edit option.
As of July 2026, out of 1 crore 62 lakh total applications submitted, 1 crore 22 lakh have been approved. More than 27 lakh applications have been rejected and are currently under re-verification with a deadline of July 10, 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available reports regarding the Annapurna Yojana. The administrative inquiry is ongoing, and official findings may change as further information becomes available.
