Centre sets up 2 more CAA citizenship panels in West Bengal amid application surge

Kolkata: The Union Home Ministry has constituted two additional empowered committees in West Bengal to process applications for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. The move comes in response to a growing number of applications in the state, officials confirmed.

With this decision, West Bengal will now have four empowered committees tasked with examining and deciding on citizenship claims filed under the CAA framework.

Why more committees were formed

According to a government order issued on Monday, the expansion was necessitated by the volume of applications seeking Indian citizenship under the amended law. Officials said the new panels are expected to accelerate scrutiny and disposal of pending cases.

The CAA rules were officially notified on March 11, 2024, marking the operational rollout of the legislation nearly four years after it was passed by Parliament.

As per the latest gazette notification, each empowered committee will be chaired by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, nominated by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

The committees will also include:

• An officer from the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (not below Under Secretary rank)
• A nominee from the jurisdictional Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO)
• A representative nominated by the State Informatics Officer of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), West Bengal
• The Post Master General of West Bengal or a nominated postal officer of equivalent rank
• Additionally, two invitees will participate in committee proceedings:
• A representative from the office of the Principal Secretary (Home) or Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Government of West Bengal
• A representative from the office of the jurisdictional Divisional Railway Manager

Earlier, under a notification dated March 11, 2024, the empowered committee structure was led by the Director (Census Operations) and included seven members.

Background on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

The Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019 and came into force in March 2024 after the Centre notified its rules. The Act provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

The law has remained politically sensitive and has triggered debates and protests in various parts of the country since its passage.