Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that his government has initiated the process of transferring land to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the Border Security Force (BSF) to fence unfenced stretches of the India-Bangladesh border. This decision came following the first cabinet meeting of the newly elected government.
Land Transfer Process
"The process of transferring the land commences today. It will be transferred to the MHA within the next 45 days. Whatever land the BSF requires will be provided," Adhikari stated after the cabinet meeting. He accused the previous government led by Mamata Banerjee of deliberately delaying the fencing process to protect "certain vote banks and infiltrators."
Background of Border Fencing Delays
The announcement comes against the backdrop of prolonged judicial scrutiny of Bengal's border fencing delays. West Bengal shares 2,216.7 km of border with Bangladesh, of which 78% of the feasible stretch has been fenced, according to an MHA affidavit filed before the Supreme Court. Around 435.5 km remains unfenced, with approximately 286.35 km pending due to land acquisition issues — delays the affidavit attributed specifically to Bengal.
Legal Proceedings
The matter reached the Calcutta High Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Subrata Saha, covering unfenced stretches across nine districts. On January 27, a division bench directed the state to hand over 127 km of already acquired land to the BSF by March 31. At a hearing on April 22, the court expressed strong displeasure after being told only eight kilometers had been transferred, describing the state's response as "sketchy and evasive" and directing it to file a detailed affidavit. The matter is next listed for May 13.
Political Reactions
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while announcing Adhikari as CM-designate, had described the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in Bengal as plugging "one of the biggest holes in India's national security" and promised to "identify and remove every single infiltrator from India."
