India, June 1 -- The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has started distributing 12-page Annapurna Bhandar application forms and has deployed ward-level teams for door-to-door surveys to collect family-wise beneficiary data. The state government has set a target of enrolling over 90,000 beneficiaries by Wednesday, when the first instalment of Rs.3,000 is expected to be credited directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

What is Annapurna Bhandar Yojana?

The Annapurna Bhandar Yojana (also called Annapurna Bhandar Scheme, earlier known as Matri Shakti Bharosa Scheme) is a women-centric welfare scheme in West Bengal, announced as part of a major 2026 Assembly election promise.

The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from 1 June 2026, re...