Allocation for women’s cash transfer scheme to be raised to ₹48,000 crore: West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced an increase in the annual budget for the Annapurna Yojana cash transfer scheme to ₹48,000 crore. The move aims to accommodate the growing number of verified female beneficiaries in the state.
Why it matters
The expansion of large-scale social welfare programs significantly impacts state fiscal policy and the economic well-being of millions of citizens.
“The West Bengal government will raise the annual allocation for the Annapurna Yojana from ₹36,000 crore to ₹48,000 crore to cover all eligible women under the scheme,” Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Tuesday (August 18, 2026).
Speaking at a programme at Dhanadhanya Auditorium in Kolkata, Mr. Adhikari said the initial budgetary allocation of ₹36,000 crore would not be sufficient for the cash transfer scheme given the growing number of beneficiaries.
"We are committed to fulfilling our promise. We had allocated ₹36,000 crore in the Budget. That will not be enough, ₹48,000 crore will be required annually to run this scheme," he said.
Mr. Adhikari said 1.45 crore women had already been approved as beneficiaries, while verification of another 14 lakh applications was under way.
“Payments under the scheme began reaching beneficiaries' bank accounts from August 17. Eligible women would get ₹3,000 per month under the scheme,” officials said.
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