WEST BENGAL CABINET DECIDES TO TRANSFER LAND TO BSF FOR FENCING BORDER WITHIN 45 DAYS
Kolkata: The new West Bengal Cabinet has decided to transfer land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing the international border with Bangladesh within 45 days. Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari said on Monday that not doing so would pose risks to the state’s population growth and security.
The first meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Adhikari after taking oath, decided to transfer land to the BSF for fencing those stretches of the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal where fencing is yet to be completed.
“We have approved the transfer of land to the BSF within 45 days for fencing the border. This is essential for our state’s security and population control,” Adhikari said after the meeting. He added that the Land and Revenue Secretary and the Chief Secretary have been tasked with completing the transfer process within the stipulated time frame.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed the Parliament during its Winter Session that West Bengal shares a 2,216-kilometer border with Bangladesh, of which 1,653 kilometers have been fenced. He added that only 563 kilometers of fencing along the border in West Bengal remains to be completed.
During the election campaign, Shah’s office had written to Mamata Banerjee, stating that 600 acres of land were needed to secure the border and that she was not providing it to the BSF. It was promised that the land would be acquired for the BSF if the BJP came to power.
The BJP has long alleged that Bangladeshis are infiltrating into India through West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also leveled similar accusations.
On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress has argued that border security is a Central government responsibility, not a state subject. Following the completion of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in the state ahead of the elections, nearly 91 lakh names were excluded. Many BJP leaders, including Kangana Ranaut, claimed that these were Bangladeshi infiltrators.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report