Amit Shah in Siliguri today, to review border security and unveil SSB projects

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to hold a series of engagements in West Bengal's Siliguri on Friday, with border security, awareness about the country's new criminal laws and discussions on a "permanent political solution" to issues concerning the Gorkha community on his agenda, officials said.

Shah will begin his engagements by visiting the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Frontier Headquarters in Siliguri around 11.15 am, where he is scheduled to inaugurate various infrastructure projects and interact with personnel. He will also participate in a traditional 'Bara Khana' with SSB personnel.

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The home minister will later visit an exhibition on the three new criminal laws at Kawakhali Ground around 2.30 pm. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam came into force on July 1, 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act.

The exhibition, titled 'Five Pillars: Transformed Justice System', will continue till August 26 and seeks to familiarise people with the new criminal justice framework. Shah is also scheduled to address a public meeting after visiting the exhibition, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari accompanying him.

Shah's visit assumes significance given Siliguri's strategic location near the borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and its proximity to the Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the "Chicken's Neck", which connects the northeastern states with the rest of the country.

The home minister, who arrived at Bagdogra airport on Thursday evening, is also scheduled to attend security-related meetings during his three-day visit.

A high-level border security review meeting is expected to be held on Saturday, focusing on coordination among the BSF, SSB, intelligence agencies and state authorities.

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Shah is also scheduled to meet public representatives from the Darjeeling hills on Saturday to discuss a "permanent political solution" to the longstanding issues of the Gorkha and other communities, officials said.

The Darjeeling hills have for decades witnessed demands for a separate Gorkhaland state. The erstwhile Left Front government had sought to address the issue through the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), while the Trinamool Congress government later established the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

During his pre-poll rallies, Shah had assured hill communities of a permanent political solution, raising expectations of greater political and economic stability in the region.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung and its general secretary Roshan Giri are expected to attend Saturday's meeting. State Minister of State for Finance and Transport Anandamoy Barman is also likely to be present.

Shah's packed schedule in north Bengal comes as the Centre seeks to reinforce security coordination in the strategically sensitive region while also engaging with long-standing political demands in the Darjeeling hills.