📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Politics
West Bengal CM Applauds Centre’s Move to Let District Collectors Directly Issue CAA Citizenship Certificates
✍️ Latestly
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 02:45 PM
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Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the Home Ministry’s decision to authorize district collectors in selected states to process and grant Citizenship Amendment Act certificates, saying it will allow Hindu refugees to obtain citizenship papers without delay.
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed approval of a recent policy announced by the Union Home Ministry. The policy empowers district collectors in certain states to handle the entire process of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) applications and to issue the final citizenship certificates.
According to the minister, the new arrangement removes the need for applicants to approach higher authorities or wait for separate verification stages, thereby accelerating the timeline for Hindu refugees who have entered India from neighboring countries. He said the change will enable them to receive their certificates "immediately."
The Home Ministry’s circular, issued earlier this week, outlines that district collectors will be authorized to verify documents, make eligibility decisions, and sign off on the certificates. The move is intended to streamline the implementation of the CAA across the country.
Adhikari noted that West Bengal will cooperate fully with the central government to ensure the smooth functioning of the new mechanism and urged other state officials to adopt the same efficiency.
According to the minister, the new arrangement removes the need for applicants to approach higher authorities or wait for separate verification stages, thereby accelerating the timeline for Hindu refugees who have entered India from neighboring countries. He said the change will enable them to receive their certificates "immediately."
The Home Ministry’s circular, issued earlier this week, outlines that district collectors will be authorized to verify documents, make eligibility decisions, and sign off on the certificates. The move is intended to streamline the implementation of the CAA across the country.
Adhikari noted that West Bengal will cooperate fully with the central government to ensure the smooth functioning of the new mechanism and urged other state officials to adopt the same efficiency.