Thousands of women in Diamond Harbour yet to receive Annapurna Bhandar funds over form upload lapse

Thousands of women in the Diamond Harbour Municipality area of South 24 Parganas have allegedly not received the first month's ₹3,000 payment under the Annapurna Bhandar scheme despite submitting their applications offline. It has been alleged that the offline application forms were kept in bags and were not uploaded to the system, preventing beneficiaries from receiving the June payment. Similar allegations have also emerged from the Kulpi block, where many women reportedly did not receive the scheme benefits. BJP leaders alleged that municipal employees responsible for uploading the forms failed to complete the process.

The Annapurna Bhandar scheme was introduced after the formation of the BJP government in the state, with eligible women receiving ₹3,000 under the programme. However, thousands of applicants from 16 wards of the Diamond Harbour Municipality and several areas of Kulpi reportedly did not receive the first instalment despite submitting offline application forms. The issue has triggered resentment among affected beneficiaries awaiting payment.

According to the allegations, municipal employees responsible for uploading the offline forms did not complete the process, resulting in the delay. Online application submission has now begun again at the municipality for the affected women. Large crowds gathered at the municipal office, with applicants stating that online submission could have prevented the inconvenience and questioning how they would receive the pending June payment.