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Key Points

The West Bengal government is urgently transferring 356 acres of land to the Border Security Force to strengthen border infrastructure. This move comes after high-level meetings addressing border security challenges with Bangladesh. The land transfer will enable BSF to complete barbed wire fencing in critical unfenced border areas. Intelligence reports suggest increasing risks from potential cross-border infiltration by radical groups, making this land handover critically important.

Key Points: Bengal Speeds Land Transfer to BSF Amid Border Security Concerns

  • Land transfer initiated for 356 acres at border regions
  • BSF preparing to install barbed fencing in vulnerable areas
  • Multiple districts involved in border security process
  • Intelligence warns of potential infiltration attempts
2 min read

Bengal govt directs DMs to complete process of land handover to BSF at earliest

West Bengal accelerates land handover to BSF for border fencing to counter illegal infiltration and potential security threats from Bangladesh-based groups.

"Last week, there was a meeting between top officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and state government - State Government Official"

Kolkata, June 7

Amid the continuing border crisis with Bangladesh, the West Bengal government has started the process of handover 356 acres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) at the earliest so that the border guarding force can immediately start the process of completing the process of installing barbed fencing in those areas where fences have not been yet put up.

Instructions have already been sent from the state secretary of Nabanna to the district magistrates of the districts concerned which have international borders with Bangladesh, a senior official of the state government said.

The districts where the administrative heads have been sent the instruction include Cooch Behar and Malda in North Bengal and Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia in South Bengal.

"Last week, there was a meeting between the top officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and their counterparts from the state government. Following that meeting, the state government geared up for starting the process of land handover on a war-footing," the state government official said.

It has been learned that the Union government had already paid money for acquiring a total of 680 acres in the border areas in several districts of West Bengal for BSF to raise barbed fencing and set up posts at the unfenced border points.

Out of that, 324 acres have already been handed over by the state government to BSF and the process has started for the handover of the remaining 356 acres at the earliest.

The unfenced border points have already been a major headache for the BSF, especially during the last couple of years, considering that illegal infiltration through these unfenced borders has increased manifold during that period.

The headache has aggravated further following inputs from intelligence agencies, both central and state, of attempts by Bangladesh-based fundamentalist groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HUT), and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), trying to infiltrate their activists in West Bengal through these unfenced borders for setting up sleeper cells in the different bordering districts of the state.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Pranav K.
Finally some action! The border situation has been worrying for years. Our BSF jawans need proper infrastructure to protect our borders. Better late than never 🙏
S
Sunita R.
As someone from North Bengal, I've seen firsthand how porous borders affect local communities. But I hope the land acquisition process is fair to farmers who might be affected. Development shouldn't come at the cost of people's livelihoods.
A
Arjun M.
Why did it take so long? The state and center should work together on border security instead of playing politics. National security is above party lines! 🇮🇳
R
Riya B.
The mention of JMB and other groups is concerning. We need strong borders but also better intelligence sharing with Bangladesh. Terrorism affects both countries equally.
K
Karan D.
Good move, but fencing alone won't solve infiltration. Need more BSF personnel, night vision tech, and proper flood lighting. Our borders deserve 21st century security solutions!
M
Meena S.
While security is important, I hope they consider environmental impact too. The Sundarbans ecosystem is delicate. Can we have smart fencing that protects both nature and borders?

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