The Union Home Ministry has moved to expand the administrative machinery for processing citizenship applications in West Bengal, authorising the creation of two additional empowered committees. This brings the total number of such panels in the state to four, a decision officials say was necessitated by the sheer volume of individuals seeking Indian nationality under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
According to a government gazette notification released on Monday, these new committees will be chaired by an officer of at least Deputy Secretary rank, nominated by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. The panels are designed to be multi-agency bodies, including representatives from the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer, and the National Informatics Centre. To ensure a broad administrative reach, the committees will also feature the Post Master General of West Bengal or a senior postal nominee.
The structure of such committees consists of two specific invitees, who are to ensure coordination, one each from the Home Department of the West Bengal government and the office of the relevant Divisional Railway Manager. This structure is similar to that of the committees formed when the CAA rules were notified in March 2024, which traditionally involved the Director of Census Operations.
The implementation of the 2019 Act remains a significant focal point in the state's political and social landscape. By fast-tracking the process for non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before the end of 2014, the Centre is clearly looking to clear a mounting backlog. This latest administrative surge suggests that the number of applicants in West Bengal has far exceeded initial expectations, requiring a more robust bureaucratic presence to handle the legal transition to Indian citizenship.
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