IndiaPosted at: Sep 17 2026 1:50PM


PM Modi hails Annapurna Yojana as new push for women’s financial independence in Bengal

New Delhi, Sep 17 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday described the Annapurna Yojana as a significant new push for Nari Shakti in West Bengal, asserting that putting assured financial assistance directly into women’s bank accounts is meant to strengthening their economic independence while easing the pressure of everyday household expenses.
Addressing beneficiaries and the people of West Bengal through video conferencing on September 17, Modi marked the release of the latest monthly instalment of the scheme, which provides Rs 3,000 to eligible women. The disbursement coincided with his 76th birthday and Vishwakarma Puja, with around 1.58 crore women set to receive the September instalment through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
Modi said the impact of the scheme went beyond the financial assistance itself, as regular support could give women greater confidence and a stronger role in managing household finances.
“When the worries related to daily household expenses are reduced, the confidence of women becomes stronger,” Modi said, emphasising that the scheme ensured that beneficiaries received a fixed amount every month without having to depend on intermediaries.
The Prime Minister particularly highlighted the DBT mechanism, under which the assistance is credited directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. He said the system had removed the need for middlemen and was designed to prevent leakages in welfare delivery.
Referring to the practice of “cut money”, Modi asserted that the new system ensured that government assistance reached beneficiaries directly and transparently, without deductions by intermediaries.
The Annapurna Yojana, introduced by the West Bengal government in 2026, provides assured monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 to eligible women in the 25-60 age group, subject to the prescribed conditions. The scheme is aimed at strengthening women's socio-economic security and promoting greater financial independence.
The programme also provides for the migration of eligible beneficiaries from the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar scheme into the Annapurna framework. Their financial assistance is transferred through DBT into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, bringing the existing beneficiary base into the higher-value support mechanism.
The reach of the scheme has also been expanding. According to state government figures, around 1.58 crore women are receiving the September instalment, compared with approximately 1.48 crore beneficiaries in August, indicating a widening coverage of the programme.
Modi linked the initiative with the broader objective of improving the “ease of living” of women, saying that government policy must address women's needs across different stages of life. He referred to areas ranging from maternal nutrition and the education of girls to economic security and financial empowerment.
The Prime Minister's remarks also underscored the larger significance attached by the government to technology-driven welfare delivery. By transferring assistance directly into beneficiaries' accounts, the system, he said, sought to make welfare delivery more transparent while reducing the scope for intermediaries and leakages.
The September 17 disbursement was marked as “Annapurna Diwas” by the West Bengal government, adding a symbolic dimension to the launch of the latest instalment. With the occasion coinciding with Modi's birthday and Vishwakarma Puja, the event brought the state's flagship women-oriented financial assistance programme into focus while highlighting the government's emphasis on direct and digitally enabled welfare transfers. UNI SKA AAB
Tags: #PM Modi hails Annapurna Yojana as new push for women’s financial independence in Bengal
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