West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised to grant citizenship to all eligible Citizenship Amendment Act applicants by December 31.
He addressed a gathering after inaugurating a Kali Puja pandal in Nadia district. He blamed the previous TMC administration for creating massive delays. According to him, the past failure left thousands of applications pending.
Around 2.5 lakh applications remain pending in Nadia and North 24 Parganas. Both border districts host large numbers of migrants from Bangladesh. Adhikari assured that authorities will issue citizenship certificates within the designated timeline. He emphasized that officials will not leave out any eligible individual.
The state administration has taken key steps to clear the pending backlog. The Home Department recently trained District Magistrates for processing tasks. Sub-divisional officers will now supervise application verification and conduct mandatory hearings.
Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. The law offers Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from three neighbouring countries. It covers Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who arrived before December 31, 2014. The Union government notified the implementation rules in March 2024.
The issue carries strong political weight in border districts. Members of the Matua community have continuously sought formal citizenship status. Adhikari accused the previous government of suppressing religious activities. He claimed the past administration placed unjust restrictions on Durga Puja celebrations.
Additionally, the Chief Minister announced the new ‘Tirthakshetra Circuit’ project. The state will spend Rs 1,000 crore on restoring ancient temples and maths. The project spans the next two years. It targets institutions managed by trusts, public organisations, and debottar bodies. However, the government will exclude privately owned religious establishments from receiving funds.
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