Eligible applicants to receive citizenship under CAA by December 31: Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised that the process of granting citizenship to all eligible applicants under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be completed by December 31. He made this announcement on Friday while inaugurating a Kali Puja pandal at Aranghata in Nadia district.

The Chief Minister stated that approximately 2.5 lakh applications are pending in Nadia and the adjacent North 24 Parganas district. Both are border districts with a significant population of people who migrated from Bangladesh. He alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had failed in the implementation of this law, resulting in thousands of applications remaining pending.

Suvendu Adhikari clarified, "All eligible applications under CAA will be disposed of by December 31. No eligible applicant will be left out, and citizenship certificates will be issued within the stipulated timeframe." He added that his government has taken the responsibility to expedite this process and has initiated administrative measures to clear the pending applications.

Regarding the arrangements for the implementation of this process, the Chief Minister said that District Magistrates have received training from the Home Department. Meanwhile, Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) will oversee the verification of applications and conduct hearings to ensure timely disposal.

According to a Hindustan Times report, this issue holds great political significance in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, particularly among the Matua community, whose members have long been demanding legal citizenship status after migrating from Bangladesh.

On this occasion, Adhikari also accused the previous government of creating obstacles in religious and cultural activities. He stated that the previous government had created difficulties, specifically by imposing restrictions on permissions for Durga Puja celebrations and immersion processions.

Furthermore, he made a new announcement that the state government will spend ₹1,000 crore over the next 2 years for the renovation and restoration of old monasteries and temples under a proposed initiative called the 'Tirthakshetra Circuit'. This project will include religious institutions managed by trusts, 'Debottar' institutions, and public institutions, while privately owned institutions will be excluded from this scheme.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (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 Central Government notified the rules under this law in March 2024, paving the way for its implementation four years after its passage.