Bhubaneswar: Odisha has issued its first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, marking a major milestone in the implementation of the law. In a ceremony held in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi handed over the documents to 35 applicants from Nabarangpur district who had completed all required formalities.
The recipients are members of minority communities who had migrated to India years ago from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. With the certificates in hand, they are now formally recognised as Indian citizens and become eligible for all rights and entitlements extended by the Constitution and the government.
The programme was organised jointly by the state’s Directorate of Census Operations and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Officials involved in the process said that issuing these certificates marks the beginning of a phased rollout, as more applicants across the state continue to undergo verification.
Speaking at the event, Majhi described the moment as historic for the state and significant for the beneficiaries, many of whom had been waiting for legal recognition for years. He noted that India has traditionally welcomed those who sought refuge from religious persecution, and said the Centre’s move to operationalise the CAA has given long-awaited relief to such families.
State ministers and senior officials present at the ceremony assured the beneficiaries that the government would support their integration, including assistance related to land rights and community certificates wherever applicable.
