West Bengal CM promises CAA certificates by end of 2026 for 2.5 lakh Matuas

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. File | Photo credit: ANI

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday (November 1, 2026) said the state government has set a target of granting citizenship certificates to 2.5 lakh Matuas in the state under the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 by December 2026.

Mr. Adhikari, who visited the Matuas religious headquarters in Thakurnagar, said only 25,000 people have been granted citizenship under the CAA so far. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised citizenship to the Matuas, largely described as Namashudras who immigrated from Bangladesh, under the CAA during the 2026 assembly elections.

“We will speed up hearings and grant citizenship to 2.5 lakh petitioners by December 31. Only 25,000 people have been granted citizenship under CAA in West Bengal so far,” the chief minister said. Mr. Adhikari added that the state government will take the initiative to include the names of those who will receive the CAA certificate in the electoral roll in the month of January when the process of enrolling new names in the electoral roll will begin.

In early August this year, Mr Adhikari said that out of 2.30 lakh applications filed under the CAA, 23,000 certificates had been issued. Earlier this year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) transferred the processing of pending citizenship applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 from the Commissioners to District Collectors in eight states and Union Territories, including West Bengal.

During his first visit to Thakurbari in North 24 Parganas after assuming office as Chief Minister, Mr. Adhikari said that West Bengal would have turned into Bangladesh if the BJP had not come to power in 2026. He thanked the Matuas for their support in the 2026 assembly polls and said that the government in the state could not have been formed without the support of the Matua community. In the recently concluded assembly elections, the BJP won majority of the Assembly seats in Matua-held constituencies in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts.

The chief minister promised to reconstitute the Matua Development Board and added that ₹ 50 crore would be spent on community development through the board in the current financial year. The Chief Secretary has been instructed to ensure that there is no problem in getting SC certificates for Scheduled Caste communities who have CAA certificates.

The chief minister also accused his predecessor of opposing the CAA. “I am happy to be here. If I can do something for Thakurnagar, it would be my biggest achievement. The previous Chief Minister divided the Matuys and their company and did nothing for them. In fact, she directly opposed the CAA. I will work for them in the coming days,” Mr Adhikari said.

Published – 01 Nov 2026 15:36 IST