Kolkata, August 25: West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari announced on Monday that hearings for citizenship applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, will soon conclude.
He stated that the state government has issued certificates to 23,000 out of 230,000 applicants so far.
Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’, Adhikari said, “We will complete the hearings for the CAA soon. All eligible refugees, including new applicants and the 207,000 pending applications, will receive official certificates of Indian citizenship after the hearings are finalized.” He mentioned that necessary instructions have been sent to district magistrates.
In the meantime, Adhikari revealed that Governor R.N. Ravi has approved the ‘West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026’. This bill facilitates the arrest of those attacking police and ensures compensation for damage to public property. A notification regarding this was also issued earlier in the day. The bill was recently passed by the assembly.
He added, “A part of this law is now in effect in West Bengal. No leniency will be shown to anyone causing damage to government property. Compensation for damage will be recovered at three times the amount, along with interest. Immediate action will be taken in cases of attacks on police.”
Adhikari dismissed former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee‘s allegations that women are not receiving benefits from the ‘Annapurna Scheme’. He stated that the state government has already transferred direct financial assistance to the bank accounts of over 14.6 million eligible women. He claimed that this money has been distributed without any political or religious discrimination.
On Monday afternoon, Banerjee went live on social media, accusing the government of imposing various conditions to deprive women of the promised doubling of benefits before the assembly elections.
In response to her allegations, Adhikari stated, “Our government does not discriminate against any religion. Under this scheme, money has already reached the accounts of approximately 1.9 million Muslim families.” He criticized the previous Trinamool Congress government, saying such claims do not befit those who have deceived people for political reasons.
Regarding the lists of eligible and ineligible individuals under the ‘Annapurna Scheme’, Adhikari mentioned that investigations are being conducted according to government regulations. He noted that around 450,000 women have filed complaints regarding their applications, and each complaint is being thoroughly investigated, with actions taken accordingly.
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