New Bengal Government Clears Border Land Proposals Pending Under Trinamool

To enhance security along the India-Bangladesh border, the West Bengal government has approved the Centre's land requirements in the state's border districts.

The move comes barely weeks after the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government took charge in the state, ousting Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.

At a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's government decided to release over 600 acres of land within a month to fortify fencing along the state's 2,200-km border, sources told NDTV.

Out of the 2,200 km, around 1,600 km is already covered by a fence. However, much remains to be done in the border state.

It has been alleged that the previous Mamata Banerjee government repeatedly refused to allocate land to central forces, primarily the Border Security Force (BSF), which is responsible for guarding the India-Bangladesh border.

The BJP had promised in its manifesto that immediate steps would be taken to stop illegal immigration, which it claimed was rampant under the Trinamool government due to the laxity of the state machinery.

This decision will formally come into force after an agreement is signed between the BSF Director General and the state government in the next few weeks.

Sources said the Bengal government has already given the go-ahead for 120 acres of land around the strategic "Chicken's Neck" area, or the Siliguri Corridor - India's only land link to the Northeast - in North Bengal to boost national security.

Additionally, Bengal has accorded in-principle approval to hand over seven stretches of National Highways from the state Public Works Department's (PWD) NH wing to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

A notification issued by the government states that these proposals had been pending for nearly a year. Despite repeated requests from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, development works on these stretches had stalled in the absence of a formal handover.

With this clearance, the state government has paved the way for central agencies to begin development works on all seven stretches, which will also strengthen regional connectivity.

The move will directly impact links between Sikkim, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and North Bengal, while the upgraded national highway network will improve interstate connectivity through Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North 24 Parganas along the international border.