NEW DELHI: The home ministry Friday constituted two more empowered committees for Bengal to fast-track processing of citizenship requests received under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. This takes the number of empowered committees functional in the state to four.CAA provides for grant of citizenship to immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh belonging to their six minority faiths — Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi — who entered India before Dec 31, 2014, fearing religious persecution in their home countries.In a gazette notification issued Monday, MHA said West Bengal’s two additional empowered committees — meant to take the final call on citizenship applications forwarded by district level committees after verification of documents — will be headed by the deputy registrar general, directorate of census operations of the state. Israel attacks IranUS F-15 down in Kuwait? Iran shares video showing fighter jet engulfed in flames, pilots ejectingIranian state media claims US fighter jet downed in Kuwait; explosions in Bahrain, Dubai, DohaIsrael bombs Hezbollah targets in Beirut; Gulf nations vow to defend themselves — key pointsThe arrangement is in consonance with that for the empowered committee notified by the ministry on Feb 20.The original empowered committee — set up as per a notification issued by the ministry in March 2024 and headed by director, census operations of Bengal — will continue to be in existence. With the three additional empowered committees now sharing work with the original committee, central govt sources told TOI, the high volume of applications under CAA will be tackled more efficiently and the processing time compressed.Bengal has a significant number of Hindu immigrants, such as those belonging to Matua community. BJP has been making an outreach to Matuas to strengthen its electoral prospects ahead of assembly polls in WB.The new empowered committees on CAA allow certain members of the original committee as notified on March 11, 2024 — like the jurisdictional foreigners regional registration officer (FRRO) and state informatics officer — to nominate an officer each not below the rank of under secretary. Other members like an officer of the subsidiary intelligence bureau and post master general or a postal officer nominated by him, remain the same.The new panels will include a representative from the office of Bengal principal secretary (home) or additional chief secretary (home), and a representative of the jurisdictional divisional railway manager, as invitees.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTMC Calls Out BJP on Fiscal Fairness and State Autonomy: ‘YOU ARE TAKING TAXES FROM BENGAL…’PM Modi Speaks To Saudi Crown Prince And Bahrain King, Condemns Iran AttacksMamata Banerjee Vows Bengal Poll Win Despite Voter Deletions, Abhishek Claims BJP Won’t Pass 50 SeatsUS-ISRAEL-IRAN WAR: How Will It Impact India’s Oil, Trade & Air Travel| EXPLAINED‘Not for the People’: Shah Accuses Mamata of Pushing Dynasty PoliticsStill Reeling From India’s Strikes, Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base Hit Again By Taliban DronesUN Rights Chief Praises India’s Civil Society And Condemns Human Rights Abuses In Pakistan And ChinaKhomeini’s Indian Connection: Ahmad Hindi, Barabanki, and the Legacy Behind Iran’s First Supreme LeaderPM Modi Uses T20 Cricket Analogy For India-Canada Partnership At CEO Forum, Carney Smiles’Arise, Awake, And Stop Not’: Canada PM Carney Quotes Vivekananda To Announce India-Canada Tie Reset123PhotostoriesHoli Special: How to make Kathal Ki Sabzi at homeExclusive: The 50s Monalisa opens up on feeling sidelined by TV actors, hits back at Rajat Dalal and reacts to plastic surgery remarks about Nikki TamboliTop 5 Harrison Ford films to watch on OTT: ‘What Lies Beneath’, ‘The Age of Adaline’ and ‘Air Force One’10 black-coloured foods and why you should eat more of themAll eyes are on stylish newlyweds Rashmika Mandanna-Vijay Deverakonda as they join Allu Arjun at Sirish’s pre-wedding soiréeZendaya & Tom Holland; Billy Crudup & Naomi Watts: Celebs who secretly tied the knot away from the spotlightUS-Israel attack on Iran: Khamenei’s death, Iran’s retaliation and military arsenals in action- in picsFeeling exhausted? 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NEW DELHI: The home ministry Friday constituted two more empowered committees for Bengal to fast-track processing of citizenship requests received under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. This takes the number of empowered committees functional in the state to four.CAA provides for grant of citizenship to immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh belonging to their six minority faiths — Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi — who entered India before Dec 31, 2014, fearing religious persecution in their home countries.In a gazette notification issued Monday, MHA said West Bengal’s two additional empowered committees — meant to take the final call on citizenship applications forwarded by district level committees after verification of documents — will be headed by the deputy registrar general, directorate of census operations of the state. The arrangement is in consonance with that for the empowered committee notified by the ministry on Feb 20.The original empowered committee — set up as per a notification issued by the ministry in March 2024 and headed by director, census operations of Bengal — will continue to be in existence. With the three additional empowered committees now sharing work with the original committee, central govt sources told TOI, the high volume of applications under CAA will be tackled more efficiently and the processing time compressed.Bengal has a significant number of Hindu immigrants, such as those belonging to Matua community. BJP has been making an outreach to Matuas to strengthen its electoral prospects ahead of assembly polls in WB.The new empowered committees on CAA allow certain members of the original committee as notified on March 11, 2024 — like the jurisdictional foreigners regional registration officer (FRRO) and state informatics officer — to nominate an officer each not below the rank of under secretary. Other members like an officer of the subsidiary intelligence bureau and post master general or a postal officer nominated by him, remain the same.The new panels will include a representative from the office of Bengal principal secretary (home) or additional chief secretary (home), and a representative of the jurisdictional divisional railway manager, as invitees.