The new BJP-led West Bengal government, headed by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has devised a three-part plan to transfer land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing the state’s border with Bangladesh. Initially, government land near the unfenced border will be provided to the BSF to kickstart the installation of barbed fencing. Following this, the government plans to acquire private land from landowners at a fair price above market rates to continue the fencing process.
The final phase of the strategy involves reclaiming encroached lands near the unfenced borders and transferring them to the BSF to complete the fencing project. The government aims to complete this entire process within a 45-day deadline set by the cabinet. Former West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty has been appointed as the principal coordinator to oversee the land transfer to the BSF.
This initiative addresses a longstanding issue as the previous Trinamool Congress-led government had been reluctant to hand over land for border fencing. The BJP had pledged in its election manifesto to resolve this issue, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah committing to prioritize this decision if a BJP government came to power in West Bengal.
