Mumbai: The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has intensified its efforts to weed out ‘illegal Bangladeshi citizens’ allegedly taking advantage of state government schemes.
Citing “growing security concerns” and “added burden” on the exchequer, the state’s food and civil services department issued a government resolution (GR) dated 24 October, 2025, asking officials across departments to maintain records of individuals who obtain documents issued by the state government. “The state government officials should scrutinise the documents and prepare a detailed report that they will have to then submit to the ATS,” the GR notes. It adds that all departments should then prepare a ‘blacklist’ of these individuals so that they cannot avail of the benefits of state government schemes.
Further, each department has been asked to refer to a list of 1,274 ‘illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’ provided by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) and ensure no documents are issued in their name. “And in case there are any documents in the name of those individuals, then the officials should move quickly to cancel or suspend them,” the GR notes.
ThePrint reached food and civil supplies department secretary Anil Diggikar via calls and messages for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
In June too, the state government released a GR to this effect. It had then laid out a comprehensive list of measures that were expected of government officials. Through the GR, various state government departments were directed to scrutinise verification documents, particularly those related to identity, residence, and entitlement to benefits.
The June GR noted that beneficiaries seeking the benefits of various welfare schemes would be required to sign declarations confirming their Indian citizenship and acknowledging that any false claim based on fake documentation could lead to criminal prosecution.
The government observed higher chances of forgery and tampering in rural Maharashtra where documents are often still issued manually, according to the June GR.
In the same GR, the government mandated that all documents—particularly those related to identity, residence, and entitlement to benefits—should be issued in digital format, embedded with barcodes or QR codes to allow real-time verification.
This has been reiterated in the latest GR.
“Departments have been told to implement online systems that can validate the authenticity of submitted certificates directly with the issuing authority,” the October GR said. It also noted that “low-wage illegal immigrants” often find employment as household or agricultural hands in villages, where background verification is rarely carried out.
The government had in its GR in June directed district administrations to increase vigilance. Police patils (village-level police liaison officers) were tasked with reporting any suspicious undocumented individuals residing in their jurisdiction. Instructions in this regard were to be uniformly issued by district collectors. “Contractual staff working in government departments who are involved in the preparation or issuance of official documents will be made legally accountable if found to have facilitated such forgery, knowingly or unknowingly,” the GR noted. It also said owners of commercial establishments where ‘illegal Bangladeshi migrants’ are found working will be held accountable.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)