The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has begun distributing the 12-page Annapurna Bhandar application forms and has formed ward-level teams to conduct door-to-door visits for collecting family-level data.
The state government has set a target for KMC to enrol over 90,000 beneficiaries by Wednesday, when the first tranche of ₹3,000 is expected to be credited to bank
accounts.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday assured prospective beneficiaries that teams would visit homes of those unable to fill the forms themselves.
“We have started enrolling names for Annapurna Bhandar. We will transfer ₹3,000 on Wednesday as the first step. Do not be impatient. Our teams will visit all homes where people are unable to fill out the form. Our men will fill the forms. We want the grant to reach the really needy,” he said.
However, the length of the application and the volume of information sought have triggered concerns over whether needy households will be able to access the scheme.
Filling out the form has been a nightmare for many applicants.
Sources in the KMC said distribution of forms had begun in some wards, alongside home visits.
The corporation’s immediate focus is to meet the enrolment target set by the state government, officials said.
Suvendu’s government has stated that individuals whose names have been removed from the electoral roll during the SIR will not be eligible for Annapurna assistance unless they appeal before a tribunal or apply afresh for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Muslims are not eligible to apply under the CAA.
Suvendu launched the Annapurna Bhandar application process on Wednesday, alleging that up to 30 lakh ineligible beneficiaries may have been included under the previous government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme.
“Door-to-door visits will help weed out bogus beneficiaries. Collecting family-
level data is part of that process. It will also assist those finding it difficult to fill the form,” a source in the KMC said.
The form requires details including head of family and other members’ information, voter card numbers, ration card and property details, vaccination status of children, possession of a car or three pucca rooms, and nature of employment, among other particulars.
Sources said Calcutta alone had around 7.87 lakh Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries.