As the election fever grips West Bengal, a sudden discrepancy in ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ payments has sparked a heated debate. Despite the state government recently hiking the monthly allowance to ₹1500 for the general category and ₹1700 for SC/ST women, many beneficiaries have reported receiving only ₹500 in their accounts this April.

This unexpected deduction has raised eyebrows across the state, especially since this scheme is considered a major poll plank for the Mamata Banerjee government. However, experts suggest that there is no need for panic as the issue likely stems from a technical glitch in the banking servers. In some cases, an advance of ₹1000 was reportedly credited in late March, leading to the remaining ₹500 being disbursed now.

While the allowance is usually credited by the 10th of every month, this month’s irregular payment cycle has left many confused. Financial experts believe that the balance amount will be credited to the respective accounts by the end of the month once the technical hurdles are resolved. Beneficiaries are advised to wait for official confirmation while the administration works to fix the payout issue.