New Delhi, March 2 -- The Central government on Monday strengthened the institutional mechanism for processing citizenship applications in West Bengal by constituting two state-level empowered committees under the Citizenship Rules, 2009, as part of the framework laid down under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

As per an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the committees will be headed by officers not below the rank of deputy secretary to the Central government, and these officers will be nominated by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

Each empowered committee will comprise an officer in the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau not below the rank of under secretary to the Central government, an off...