Amit Shah to review Bengal's border issues, birth and death registration, law and order situation in a two-day visit from July 18
New Delhi, July 17
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will review West Bengal's border-related issues, birth and death registration, full implementation of the three new criminal laws, as well as the law and order situation during his two-day visit to the state beginning from July 18.
Shah is learnt to reach West Bengal by late Friday evening, and start his two-day busy schedule covering over half-a-dozen engagements, including visit to a Border Outpost (BOP) in Siliguri in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, ineration with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, inauguration and foundation stone laying of various BSF projects, inauguration of newly constructed Museum of Word, and foundation stone laying ceremony for Amul Bengal Dairy's curd (yoghurt) plant.
On July 18, the Home Minister will start his scheduled engagements by visiting BOP Jumagachh in Siliguri, following his interaction with BSF personnel, and the inauguration as well as the foundation stone laying of various BSF projects at the border guarding force's 18th Battalion.
In his day-long stay in Siliguri, Shah will later chair a meeting on border-related issues in the presence of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, IB chief Mahesh Dixit, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, BSF Director General Praveen Kumar, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, West Bengal Police, and the state government.
The Home Minister will later hold a meeting on the full implementation of the three new criminal laws in West Bengal. The three new criminal laws--Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023-- came into force across India on July 1, 2024, replacing the colonial-era criminal justice framework. They are aimed at modernising the criminal justice system by introducing technology-driven investigations, strengthening victim-centric provisions, and ensuring faster delivery of justice.
At the end of the day, Shah will further chair another meeting on birth and death registration in West Bengal in Siliguri. The meeting is significant as the BJP government in West Bengal has introduced new rules for the issuance of birth and death certificates, tightening the registration process to curb fraudulent documentation and strengthen the verification mechanism. Under the new rules, applicants filling out birth certificate forms must enter names only in the prescribed First Name, Middle Name and Last Name format. The use of initials or abbreviations will no longer be permitted.
The West Bengal government has also introduced the digital issuance of birth and death certificates. Citizens will now be able to obtain the certificates online, although the existing offline system will continue to remain in place. For birth certificate applications, applicants must mention the village name, ward number, house code and PIN code. In cases where an application for a birth or death certificate is submitted more than 30 days after the birth of an infant or the death of a person, the applicant will have to state the reason for the delay and obtain permission from the designated authorities. If any doubts arise regarding an application, the concerned officials will be required to conduct a physical verification by visiting the location.
Union Home Minister's July 19 schedule mentions the beginning of his day with a meeting on the law and order situation in West Bengal. The meeting will be conducted in Kolkata.
Besides, Shah will inaugurate the newly constructed Museum of Word and attend an event of the foundation stone laying ceremony for Amul Bengal Dairy's curd (yoghurt) plant in Kolkata later in the day.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The new criminal laws are a good step, but implementation in Bengal will be challenging given the political tensions. Hope the meeting focuses on ground realities, not just political posturing.
Birth and death registration reform is long overdue. The new rules to prevent fraud and digitization are welcome. But will the infrastructure support it in rural areas? Need more clarity on that.
Amul curd plant in Bengal! This is fantastic for local dairy farmers. But law and order meeting is most critical - so many incidents of violence in Bengal, we need real solutions, not just meetings.
Museum of Word inauguration sounds interesting, but honestly, the focus should be on border infiltration and law and order. Those are life and death issues. Hope the CM's office cooperates fully.
A packed schedule! But I'm skeptical about how much will actually change. Previous visits have resulted in many promises but ground reality remains same. Let's see if this time is different. 🤞
Good to see the Home Minister taking Bengal seriously. Border security and law and order are interconnected. But why no mention of the recent post-poll violence
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