Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced that his government aims to grant citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to 2.5 lakh applicants by December 31, 2026. He also announced an allocation of ₹50 crore for the development of the Matua community.
The announcements were made on Sunday while addressing the International Matua Gosai Conference 2026 at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, a major centre of the Matua community.
Adhikari said the state government would accelerate the application hearing process to achieve the citizenship target. He added that eligible applicants belonging to Scheduled Castes who obtain citizenship under the CAA would also be issued Scheduled Caste certificates.
Government Seeks to Expedite CAA Citizenship Process
The Chief Minister said that approximately 25,000 people had received citizenship under the CAA in West Bengal so far. Following the change in government, the state administration had accelerated the hearing process, he claimed.
He said the government would work towards extending citizenship to 2.5 lakh applicants by the end of December.
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The CAA provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for eligible Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who faced religious persecution.
Adhikari also criticised the previous Trinamool Congress government and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for opposing the implementation of the CAA in West Bengal. He alleged that the previous administration had neglected the Matua community and failed to undertake adequate development initiatives for it.
Matua Community to Receive ₹50 Crore for Development
Addressing the gathering, Adhikari credited the Matua community’s support with contributing to the BJP’s victory in West Bengal.
He said his government would prioritise the community’s welfare and described delivering development initiatives for Thakurnagar and the Matua population as an important achievement.
The Chief Minister also accused the previous government of dividing the community and assured members that his administration would undertake several initiatives for their benefit.
First Visit to Thakurnagar After Becoming Chief Minister
Adhikari visited Thakurnagar for the first time after assuming office as Chief Minister in May 2026.
He was invited by Union Minister and All India Matua Mahasangha chief Shantanu Thakur and his wife, Soma Thakur, who is a BJP MLA from Bagda.
During the visit, Adhikari offered prayers and participated in the aarti at Thakurbari, the principal religious centre of the Matua community. He paid his respects at the temples dedicated to community founders Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur before attending the conference.
He was welcomed by members of the community, with a large number of people gathering at the venue from the morning.
Who Are the Matua Community?
The Matua community traces its origins to present-day Bangladesh and is associated with the Scheduled Caste category in West Bengal.
Its social reform movement emerged in the latter half of the 19th century under the leadership of Harichand Thakur. The movement played an important role in organising the Namasudra community in undivided eastern Bengal.
Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas is regarded as one of the most important religious and social centres of the Matua community.
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