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Sarkari Yojana
West Bengal to grant CAA citizenship to 250,000 applicants by Dec 31
✍️ India Today
🗓 01 Nov 2026, 05:02 PM
👁 13
The West Bengal government announced it will issue Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) certificates to 250,000 applicants by the end of December.
Kolkata, Nov 1 — The West Bengal administration confirmed that it will complete the issuance of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) certificates to 2.5 lakh eligible applicants by December 31. The decision was disclosed in a statement released by the state’s Home Department, which said the timeline aligns with the central government's guidelines for the scheme.
Officials said the process involves verification of documents, background checks and final approval by the state’s CAA cell. The department has set up additional verification centres across districts to expedite the workload and ensure that the deadline is met without compromising accuracy.
The move comes as the state seeks to address the backlog of applications that have been pending since the law’s enactment in 2019. While the CAA remains a contentious issue nationally, the West Bengal government emphasizes that it is merely implementing a central policy aimed at providing citizenship to eligible religious minorities from neighboring countries.
Stakeholders, including civil‑society groups, have urged the administration to maintain transparency and uphold the rights of applicants during the verification process. The state has pledged to publish periodic updates on the number of certificates issued.
If the deadline is met, West Bengal will join other states that have completed the CAA registration drive, potentially influencing the broader national discourse on the act’s implementation.
Officials said the process involves verification of documents, background checks and final approval by the state’s CAA cell. The department has set up additional verification centres across districts to expedite the workload and ensure that the deadline is met without compromising accuracy.
The move comes as the state seeks to address the backlog of applications that have been pending since the law’s enactment in 2019. While the CAA remains a contentious issue nationally, the West Bengal government emphasizes that it is merely implementing a central policy aimed at providing citizenship to eligible religious minorities from neighboring countries.
Stakeholders, including civil‑society groups, have urged the administration to maintain transparency and uphold the rights of applicants during the verification process. The state has pledged to publish periodic updates on the number of certificates issued.
If the deadline is met, West Bengal will join other states that have completed the CAA registration drive, potentially influencing the broader national discourse on the act’s implementation.