State to review rejected Annapurna applications by July 10
Times of India | 6 July 2026
Kolkata: Bengal govt will finish verifying all rejected Annapurna Yojana applications and digitise all offline applications by July 10. As many as 27.83 lakh Annapurna Yojana applications have been provisionally rejected. This was decided at a high-level meeting on Saturday, chaired by Bengal chief secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal.
According to Bengal govt data, since the scheme’s rollout, 1.62 crore applications have been received, of which 1.22 crore have been approved. Families paying income tax, having more than three rooms or holding a GSTIN were some of the reasons cited for the provisional rejections.
Speaking after the meeting, MoS (Independent charge), women and child development, Malati Rava Roy said an enquiry will be launched to ascertain why applications had been rejected or deemed ineligible. She said, “This is an enormous undertaking. We have delivered services to a vast number of people within a very short period. Nevertheless, I have directed the SDOs, BDOs, and GPs to investigate the reasons behind the ‘rejected’ applications and examine why they were disqualified.”
Speaking on protests at administrative offices in certain pockets over people not receiving Annapurna scheme funds, the minister added, “We must identify who are spearheading these demonstrations... No matter what, only those who are truly eligible will be brought under the ambit of this scheme.”
According to a senior officer, field enquiries have been started from Sunday to look into every rejected application. The portal will be updated simultaneously.
Addressing a recurring complaint that online applicants received faster verification and enrolment while those who applied offline were left out, state govt has directed that all offline forms received at the Jana Kalyan Shibirs (JKS) will be digitised by Friday.
Official sources said the Annapurna Yojana portal is also being upgraded with additional features that will allow it to receive claims and objections.
Officials also indicated that they have received complaints regarding bank and Aadhaar linking failures. District administrations have been told to address these issues.
MLA alleges TMC hand in Annapurna rejections
Saltora MLA Chandana Bauri alleged on Saturday that TMC-aligned data entry operators were approving Annapurna Yojana applications made by families known to be TMC supporters while excluding BJP supporters and genuine beneficiaries, including those of the SC and ST communities. Warning the operators, Bauri said, “Work without bias. If you want to act as brokers, do not sit in the office — go sit by the roadside.” She maintained that the govt strives for neutrality, but individuals malign efforts.