The West Bengal government has announced that all pending applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be processed within the next six months, with the state administration asserting that the law is intended to grant citizenship rather than revoke it.

Speaking at a citizenship certificate distribution programme in New Town on Saturday, Suvendu Adhikari said the implementation of the CAA had formally begun in the state and that eligible applicants would receive citizenship after completion of the prescribed process.

Around 300 members of the Matua community from North 24 Parganas were handed citizenship certificates during the event.

'CAA Grants Citizenship, Does Not Take It Away'

Addressing beneficiaries, the Chief Minister said the Citizenship Amendment Act was enacted to provide Indian citizenship to eligible refugees and should not be viewed as a law that strips existing citizens of their nationality.

He also alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had created confusion regarding the legislation for political reasons.

Over 2.3 Lakh Applications Received

According to the Chief Minister, 2,30,605 applications have been received under the Citizenship Amendment Act across West Bengal.

He said 23,956 citizenship certificates have been issued so far, including 5,966 certificates distributed during the past 11 weeks.

District-wise, Nadia has recorded the highest number of beneficiaries, with 10,191 certificates issued, followed by North 24 Parganas, where 8,930 applicants have received citizenship documents.

State Begins CAA Implementation Process

The Chief Minister said the state has initiated the legal process for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act and assured eligible applicants that they would receive protection under the law.

He stated that people belonging to communities covered under the Act who entered India before the prescribed cut-off date would be eligible to apply for citizenship through the online application process.

Border Security Measures Announced

The Chief Minister also announced that the state government had handed over 27 kilometres of land along the India-Bangladesh border to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing and security infrastructure.

He said the remaining land transfer process would be completed within two weeks and assured that additional land required for border security would also be made available whenever necessary.

What the Citizenship Amendment Act Provides

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who migrated to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistanafter facing religious persecution and entered the country before the notified cut-off date under the Act.

Eligible applicants are required to submit their applications online. Under the Act, the minimum residency requirement for eligible refugees has been reduced from 11 years to five years.

The implementation of the CAA has remained a politically significant issue in West Bengal, where refugee communities, particularly the Matua community, constitute an important voter base.