The West Bengal government has handed over 142.79 acres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for the construction of outposts and barbed-wire fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday.
The transfer forms part of the State government's decision, taken at its first Cabinet meeting on May 11, to provide 600 acres within 45 days for border fencing and related infrastructure.
In a post on social media, Adhikari said the State had intensified efforts to strengthen border security by facilitating the construction of BSF infrastructure in border areas.
“Additional land has now been handed over to the BSF, taking the total tally to 142.79 acres,” he said.
A district-wise break-up shared by the Chief Minister showed that 22.92 acres were transferred in Cooch Behar, 35.16 acres in Jalpaiguri, 8.81 acres in Darjeeling, 2.84 acres in Uttar Dinajpur, and 20.17 acres in Dakshin Dinajpur.
The government also handed over 10.9 acres in Malda, 38.8 acres in Murshidabad, 0.55 acre in Nadia, and 2.6 acres in North 24 Parganas.
Officials said that, in the first phase of the initiative, 43 acres of purchased land across five districts, along with sanction orders for 31.9 acres of vested land, were transferred to the BSF on May 20.
The move follows a policy announcement by Adhikari last week outlining measures to expedite border fencing and tighten administrative action against illegal immigration.
West Bengal shares a 2,217-km border with Bangladesh, the longest among Indian States. According to the Chief Minister, nearly 1,600 km of the border has already been fenced, while about 600 km remains unfenced.
(With inputs from PTI)