The West Bengal government approved the transfer of approximately 120 acres [1] of land in the strategic Chicken's Neck corridor to the central government.
This move is critical because the region serves as the narrow land bridge connecting mainland India to its northeastern states. Enhancing infrastructure here is vital for national security and the movement of goods and personnel near the India-Bangladesh border.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari led the state government in the decision to hand over the land [2]. In addition to the acreage, the state is transferring seven stretches of national highways [3] to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
The handover, which was reported in May 2024 [4], aims to strengthen overall connectivity in North Bengal. Officials said the transfer will facilitate future rail-infrastructure projects and improve border security in the sensitive corridor [5].
The Chicken's Neck, also known as the Siliguri Corridor, remains one of the most geographically vulnerable points in India's infrastructure. By transferring control of these specific highway stretches and land parcels to central authorities, the government intends to streamline the development of strategic assets without state-level administrative delays.
The agreement ensures that the central government has the necessary jurisdiction to implement high-priority security measures, and transport upgrades. These improvements are intended to reduce bottlenecks and ensure a more resilient link to the northeast [5].
“The West Bengal government approved the transfer of approximately 120 acres of land in the strategic Chicken's Neck corridor.”
The transfer of land and highway control from the state to the central government removes a significant layer of bureaucratic friction in a high-security zone. Because the Chicken's Neck is a narrow geographic bottleneck, centralizing the management of these 120 acres and seven highway stretches allows for faster mobilization of security forces and the rapid execution of rail projects essential for national defense and regional stability.
