“We have fulfilled our promise,” says CM Suvendu as Annapurna Bhandar forms go live

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the formal rollout of the Annapurna Bhandar scheme, stating that the government had fulfilled its promise by releasing the application forms and launching the online application portal for beneficiaries. Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said eligible women under the scheme would receive ₹3,000 in financial assistance and that the government had initiated both online and offline application systems to streamline the enrolment process. Adhikari stated, “We have fulfilled our promise,” while outlining the implementation mechanism of the scheme and the administrative arrangements put in place for processing applications.

He also said that all ordinary women would be eligible for the benefits, while applicants under the Citizenship Amendment Act would not be covered under the scheme. During the briefing, the Chief Minister alleged that discrepancies existed in the existing Lakshmi Bhandar beneficiary database and claimed that several beneficiaries whose names were absent from voter lists continued to receive benefits. He further stated that the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary would supervise the implementation process, with assistance from WEBEL, the Information Technology Department, and other relevant government departments to ensure verification and smooth execution of the scheme.