The West Bengal BJP government transferred land to the Border Security Force to install barbed-wire fencing and outposts along the India-Bangladesh border.
This move aims to accelerate security infrastructure and fulfill a campaign promise. The state government intends to address perceived inaction by the previous administration to secure the frontier.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) said the initiative began this month. While one report indicates a pledge to complete the handover within 45 days [1], another source cites a claim by Amit Shah that the land was handed over in seven days [2].
Reports on the exact amount of land transferred vary significantly. One source said the government transferred 142.79 acres [3]. Other reports cite a larger figure of 600 acres [4], while a separate claim suggests the total was 600 hectares [2].
The transferred land will be used specifically for the construction of border fencing and the establishment of operational bases for the BSF. These measures are designed to tighten control over the stretch of the border within West Bengal.
The BSF will now proceed with the installation of physical barriers to prevent illegal crossings and smuggling. This coordination between the state government and the federal security force is intended to eliminate previous bureaucratic delays.
“The state government transferred land to the BSF for setting up outposts and installing barbed-wire fencing.”
The transfer of land represents a shift in state-federal cooperation regarding national security. By removing land-acquisition hurdles, the West Bengal government is enabling the BSF to close security gaps that have historically been exploited for illegal migration and smuggling, potentially altering the security dynamic along the eastern border.
