Thakurnagar, Nov. 1 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday assured members of the Matua community that all pending applications for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be cleared by December 31, with certificates issued to eligible applicants after completion of the hearing process.

He also announced a series of initiatives for Thakurnagar, including a separate municipality, a new temple at the Matua pilgrimage centre and national fair status for the annual Baruni Mela.

Addressing the "Gosai International Conference " at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, Adhikari accused former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the Matua community over the CAA and alleged that opposition by the...