The Calcutta High Court has instructed the West Bengal government to promptly provide land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for erecting a barbed-wire fence along the India-Bangladesh border in nine districts. This directive, issued by a division bench led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, mandates the land transfer by March 31. The central government has already allocated funds for this purpose, but the land transfer is pending.
The High Court emphasized the urgency of transferring the land without delay and dismissed any delays related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Additionally, the court will hear arguments from both the central and state governments concerning land acquisition pending state cabinet approval. In light of national security concerns, the court has requested all parties to provide affidavits on the possibility of emergency land acquisition along the border as per the law, with the next hearing scheduled for April 2.
A public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former army officer Dr. Subrata Saha highlighted the state’s alleged negligence in constructing the border fence, attributing it to increased illegal smuggling and infiltration activities. The court previously directed the Principal Secretary of the state’s Land Acquisition Department to submit an affidavit in this regard. The state government has assured the court that the 181 kilometers of land allocated for the fence construction will be handed over to the BSF by the end of March, following which the Chief Justice’s division bench set March 31 as the deadline for compliance.
