West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday, 1 June announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police will probe the alleged misuse of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, under which an estimated 30 lakh illegal beneficiaries — including males and purported Bangladeshi nationals — reportedly received monthly payments meant exclusively for women. The scheme was introduced by the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

Scale of the Alleged Fraud

Addressing reporters, Chief Minister Adhikari said initial findings had flagged 30 lakh illegal beneficiaries, with 22 accounts already identified in which males had received payments. He underscored the financial magnitude of the alleged irregularity: at ₹1,500 per month per account — the fixed disbursement under Lakshmir Bhandar — the cumulative drain on the state exchequer across all flagged accounts would run into thousands of crores.

'I have instructed the state director general of police to start an investigation into the matter by forming a special investigation team,' Adhikari said.

Named Cases and Alleged Infiltrators

The Chief Minister cited specific instances to illustrate the alleged scale of duplication. One individual, Mustafizur Rahman, and his wife allegedly received scheme payments across 15 different bank accounts under different names. Another individual, Tarikul Rahman, allegedly received payments in six bank accounts. Adhikari also alleged that several illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators had been receiving Lakshmir Bhandar payments credited directly to their bank accounts, though independent verification of these claims was not immediately available.

Transition to Annapurna Yojana

The state government has replaced Lakshmir Bhandar with the Annapurna Yojana, which offers an enhanced monthly payment of ₹3,000 — double the previous amount. Adhikari said illegal beneficiaries would be removed from the payment system and only verified Indian women would be enrolled under the new scheme.

The transition, however, has not been without friction. The government initially indicated that existing Lakshmir Bhandar recipients would be automatically enrolled in Annapurna Yojana. That plan was revised after the scale of alleged fraud became apparent, with a 12-page enrolment form introduced as a verification measure. Amid public concern over the complexity of the form, Adhikari announced last week that state government staff would visit beneficiaries' homes to assist with the paperwork.

Political Context

The SIT probe adds a sharp political dimension to what is already a contested transition of power in West Bengal. The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme was a flagship welfare initiative of the Banerjee government and a significant factor in the TMC's electoral mobilisation among women voters. The current government's decision to audit the scheme's beneficiary rolls — and publicise alleged irregularities — comes as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led administration seeks to consolidate its position in the state. Critics may argue that the fraud allegations serve a political purpose; the government, for its part, maintains that the SIT probe is a matter of fiscal accountability.

With the SIT now constituted and doorstep enrolment drives underway, the pace of verified registrations under Annapurna Yojana will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.