West Bengal deploys 12 IAS officers to fast-track CAA process
The officers are assigned to Nadia and North 24-Parganas to accelerate citizenship application verifications by December 31.
The West Bengal government has deployed 12 IAS officers to Nadia and North 24-Parganas districts to speed up the verification of citizenship applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), according to NorthBlockSouthBlock.
The officers, who are currently serving as Assistant Magistrates and Assistant Collectors, have been temporarily attached to the two districts for two months. They will assist District Magistrates in examining documents and processing pending applications.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has set a target of December 31 to complete hearings and issue citizenship certificates to eligible applicants. Adhikari stated that approximately 2.5 lakh applicants have sought citizenship under the Act, but only around 25,000 have received certificates so far.
Six officers have been assigned to each district to strengthen administrative capacity and ensure proceedings are completed within the stipulated timeframe. The deployment aims to streamline document scrutiny and improve coordination between departments.
In a separate matter, former Rajya Sabha member and former Prasar Bharati chairman Jawhar Sircar alleged that Christians are facing oppression on an alarming scale. He and other civil society members expressed concern over reported attacks on Christian minorities in West Bengal since May.