Annapurna Yojana: Women Welfare Money Deposited Into Man's Account Trinamool Reacts, 'After Filling A 12-Page Form...'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Fresh allegations have emerged that money from the Annapurna Yojana welfare scheme was wrongly credited to men. One specific incident in West Bengal has raised serious questions about the state government's distribution system.

In this case, a 74-year-old man, Sanjit Biswas, from Chandpur in Nadia district, received an unexpected credit. He visited a local customer service centre on Thursday to withdraw his old-age pension.

His account held ₹799. After two months, the ₹2,000 pension was credited, and his balance should have been ₹2,799. Instead, he found ₹5,799 in his account.

Also Read | Ex-TMC leader claims 20 MPs sent letter to BJP, warns: 'Assembly Dhurandhar 1...'

Centre staff traced the extra ₹3,000 to the BJP government's Annapurna Yojana scheme using his Aadhaar number, according to the Anandabazar Patrika. Biswas said he had not withdrawn the amount.

Krishnanagar 1 BDO Ranjan Sardar acknowledged the anomaly, the publication added. He said it might have occurred due to an error. Officials have been sent to Biswas's house for verification, and corrective action is expected.

The state began transferring ₹3,000 under the Annapurna Yojana to verified beneficiaries from Wednesday. This incident follows earlier allegations that money from the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme was also deposited into men's accounts, leading to several arrests.

All India Trinamool Congress, led by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, was quick to take a dig at the incident. TMC's official social media handle shared a screenshot of the news story.

Also Read | Who is Ritabrata Banerjee? Ex-TMC leader spearheading party's 'split'

“Annapurna Bhandar is also meant for senior citizens, BJP Bengal? After filling a 12-page form, undergoing multiple rounds of verification, and facing endless scrutiny, how did this individual in Nadia end up receiving Annapurna Bhandar benefits?” Banerjee's party asked.

“So much for your claims of 'strict verification' and 'zero loopholes'. SLOW CLAPS!” it added.

Social media users reacted to the post.

“Further, almost all the so-called below poverty line are essentially earning over 12,00 to 15,000 per month as they are working in nearby flats and houses as house assistants. THIS NEEDS TO BE KEPT UNDER CONSIDERATION,” wrote one of them.

Also Read | Annapurna Yojana: How Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries can update bank details

“Kya fursat hai (You have a lot of time) - auditing which individual gets what from the govt. SEBI ban gaye aap log - watchdog. Good. Keeps the govt in check. Do do,” commented another user.

BJP's Allegations

The BJP, now in power, has repeatedly accused the previous TMC government of mismanagement. A 65-year-old homoeopathy doctor from Pingla in West Midnapore allegedly received widow pension money for two years.

Amlendubikash Mondal, a resident of Yashrajpur village, was earlier arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Midnapore. The judge ordered three days of police custody.

Mondal claimed that he had applied for an old-age pension in 2022. He said he did not know how the widow's pension had started reaching his account.

He also alleged that he had informed local panchayat members after noticing the deposits. No action was taken at the time, he claimed.

MENAFN06062026007365015876ID1111219389