Eligible CAA Applicants To Get Citizenship By Dec 31: Bengal CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari promised that the process of granting citizenship to all eligible applicants under the CAA would be completed by December 31, alleging that the previous TMC government failed to facilitate its implementation, leaving thousands of applications pending.

Inaugurating a Kali Puja pandal at Aranghata in Nadia district on Friday, Adhikari said around 2.5 lakh applications were pending in Nadia and neighbouring North 24 Parganas, both border districts with a sizeable population of people who migrated from Bangladesh.

"All eligible applications under the CAA will be disposed of by December 31. No eligible applicant will be left out, and citizenship certificates will be issued within the stipulated period," he said.

The chief minister said his government had taken responsibility for expediting the process and initiated administrative steps to clear the backlog.

"District magistrates had undergone training through the Home Department, while sub-divisional officers (SDOs) would supervise verification of applications and conduct hearings to ensure their timely disposal," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, passed by Parliament in December 2019, provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, after facing religious persecution.

The Centre notified the rules under the Act in March 2024, paving the way for its implementation more than four years after its passage.

The issue has considerable political significance in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, particularly among sections of the Matua community, whose members have long sought legal citizenship status following their migration from Bangladesh.

Adhikari also accused the previous government of creating obstacles to religious and cultural activities, particularly by restricting permissions for Durga Puja celebrations and immersion processions.

In another announcement, he said the state government would spend Rs 1,000 crore over the next two years on renovating and restoring old maths and temples under a proposed initiative called the 'Tirthakshetra Circuit'.

The project would cover religious institutions managed by trusts, 'debottar' bodies and public organisations, while privately owned establishments would be excluded, he said.