West Bengal committed to handover land to BSF within 45 days for border fencing: Minister

Bongaon: West Bengal minister Ashok Kirtania on Sunday said the state government was committed to handing over land to the Border Security Force (BSF) within 45 days for the erection of fence along the Bangladesh border.

Kirtania, the Food and Supply minister, who represents the Bangaon Uttar constituency in North 24 Parganas district, made the remark after visiting his constituency to review the progress of land acquisition and meet Border Security Force (BSF) officials to assess the ground-level developments.

He said land acquisition in most parts of North 24 Parganas district was progressing satisfactorily but flagged resistance in the Basirhat area.


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"I had a word with the district magistrate, and I was informed that, except for three mouzas in Basirhat, there are no issues. Some residents of Basirhat are refusing to move from the fencing area, and some families who will fall inside the fencing are refusing rehabilitation," Kirtania told reporters.

The minister said he directed the district magistrate to resolve the impasse within a week. "I have asked the DM to convince them within a week," he said.

The newly elected BJP government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, had in its first cabinet meeting on May 11 decided to transfer land to the BSF for completing the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border, with a 45-day deadline for the handover. The cabinet had authorised the transfer of around 600 acres to the BSF.

West Bengal shares approximately 2,217 km of the roughly 4,097 km India-Bangladesh border.

According to Union Home Ministry data, of the 2,217 km in West Bengal, around 1,648 km has been fenced while 569 km remains uncovered, of which 456 km is feasible for fencing.

The BJP had accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of Mamata Banerjee of consistently delaying land acquisition for fencing, a charge the TMC denied.