West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday, 6 August issued a stern warning of legal action against individuals spreading misleading information about the state government's Annapurna Bhandar Yojana, a financial assistance scheme targeting women aged 25 to 60. Speaking at a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna in Kolkata, Adhikari said authorities were actively identifying those behind the disinformation campaign on social media.

Key Developments

The Chief Minister stated that 2 crore 16 lakh applications had been received under the scheme before the deadline of 31 July, with both online and offline submissions accepted from June to 31 July. Offline applications are currently being uploaded to the portal, and verification of all submissions is reportedly in its final stages.

Adhikari confirmed that women who applied on or before 10 July and whose applications are error-free will receive ₹3,000 directly in their bank accounts by 17 August. Those who submitted applications between 11 July and 31 July may face delays pending the completion of verification.

What the Government Said

'People are being misled. We are keeping an eye on them. The deserving ones will definitely get the money,' Adhikari said at the press conference. He named two individuals — Noor Alam and Mehboob — alleging they were using women to spread incorrect information about the scheme, and warned them against continuing such activities.

On the verification process, Adhikari said: 'We have accepted applications till July 31. The work of verifying each application is going on. It is almost in the final stage.' He added that Malati Rava Roy, the Minister of the concerned department, would hold a dedicated press conference on 10 August at 2 pm to provide full details on eligibility outcomes.

Political Context

Adhikari also drew a contrast with the Lakshmir Bhandar project run during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government, alleging irregularities in that scheme. 'All these accounts are in our hands. We do not work like this. This is government money,' he said, positioning the Annapurna Bhandar Yojana as a more accountable alternative.

Notably, Adhikari made a pointed political remark, stating that those spreading misinformation had not voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and claimed the party would 'be in power in this state for the next 100 years' — a comment that critics are likely to view as electioneering rather than governance communication.

Impact on Beneficiaries

The scheme is aimed at women between the ages of 25 and 60 and is structured around financial rules and BJP's stated policy resolution. With over 2 crore applications under review, the scale of the programme is significant. Beneficiaries in the first tranche can expect funds on 17 August, while the remainder will be processed after verification is complete.

The government's next major update on the scheme is expected at the 10 August press conference, which may clarify how many applicants qualify and what the timeline looks like for those facing delays.