Bengal Govt Clears Land for India-Bangladesh Border Fencing
Suvendu Adhikari government approves land transfer to strengthen border security
- Bengal approves over 600 acres for border fencing projects
- Land clearance to strengthen India-Bangladesh border security
- Government also clears land near strategic Siliguri Corridor
- Seven highway stretches handed over for central infrastructure projects
GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 19th May: The West Bengal government led by Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, has approved the Centre’s land requirements for strengthening security infrastructure along the India-Bangladesh border.
The decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting and comes weeks after the BJP government assumed office in the state following the defeat of Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress.
According to sources, the state government has decided to release more than 600 acres of land within a month to facilitate border fencing projects along West Bengal’s nearly 2,200-km border with Bangladesh.
Of the total border length, nearly 1,600 km is already fenced, while significant stretches remain uncovered.
The BJP had earlier accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of delaying land allocation for the Border Security Force, which guards the India-Bangladesh border.
The party had also promised stricter action against illegal immigration during the Assembly election campaign.
Sources said the state government has already approved the transfer of 120 acres of land near the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, commonly referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck”, in North Bengal.
The corridor serves as India’s only land connection to the northeastern states and is considered crucial from a national security perspective.
The formal implementation of the land transfer decision is expected after an agreement is signed between the state government and the BSF Director General in the coming weeks.
In another major infrastructure-related move, the Bengal government has also granted in-principle approval for transferring seven National Highway stretches from the state Public Works Department to the National Highways Authority of India and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
According to an official notification, these proposals had remained pending for nearly a year despite repeated requests from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Officials said the clearance would allow central agencies to begin development work on the highway stretches, improving regional and interstate connectivity.
The upgraded road network is expected to strengthen links connecting Sikkim, Bhutan, Bangladesh and North Bengal, while also improving connectivity through Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts along the international border.
