West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday claimed that nearly 30 lakh beneficiaries under the state’s former Lakshmir Bhandar welfare scheme were ineligible to receive financial assistance, linking the issue to voter list revisions and citizenship-related verification processes. The remarks came as the newly elected BJP government prepares to replace the Trinamool Congress government’s flagship women-centric scheme with the newly announced Annapurna Yojana, which is scheduled to come into effect from June 1.

Addressing a virtual press conference from Nabanna, the state secretariat in Kolkata, Adhikari stated that complaints received by the government suggested that several beneficiaries had either been permanently removed from electoral rolls, had not applied for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), or had failed to approach tribunals connected to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. According to the chief minister, the government is now conducting a detailed verification exercise before rolling out the revised welfare program.

Lakshmir Bhandar, introduced by the previous Trinamool Congress government in 2021, was a direct benefit transfer scheme aimed at women between the ages of 25 and 60. The programurrently covers around 2.2 crore beneficiaries across West Bengal. Under the scheme, women from the general category received monthly financial assistance of Rs. 1,500, while women from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities received Rs. 1,700 per month. The BJP government has announced that the new Annapurna Yojana will provide Rs. 3,000 per month to all eligible women beneficiaries.

Also Read: Nitin Nabin To Hold Organisational Meetings With BJP Leaders During Uttarakhand Visit

Adhikari clarified that existing beneficiaries would continue receiving financial assistance if they complete the fresh application process under the Annapurna Yojana and are subsequently approved by authorities. He stated that the government’s primary objective was to prepare what he described as a “clean list” of beneficiaries by removing ineligible names from the earlier welfare database. Officials are expected to finalize the revised beneficiary list after verification forms are submitted and scrutinized by the administration.

The controversy emerged on the same day that the Supreme Court upheld the legal validity of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls while also observing that determinations made by the Election Commission for electoral purposes cannot be treated as final on the issue of citizenship. The court’s remarks have added political and legal significance to the ongoing debate in West Bengal over welfare eligibility, citizenship documentation, and electoral verification processes.

The replacement of Lakshmir Bhandar with Annapurna Yojana marks one of the first major welfare policy shifts under the BJP government in West Bengal following its victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. Political observers believe the issue could trigger further debate between the ruling BJP and the opposition Trinamool Congress, particularly over allegations related to voter eligibility, welfare access, and the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state.

Also Read: CM Pema Khandu Promises Strong Action On Indigenous Rights And Demographic Issues