THE West Bengal Government has handed over 142.79 acre of land to the BSF for setting up outposts and barbed-wire fencing infrastructure along the India-Bangladesh border, CM Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday. The handover is part of the BJP Government’s decision, taken at its first Cabinet meeting to transfer 600 acre of land within 45 days. “Govt of WB has initiated intensified measures to strengthen border security by facilitating construction of BSF outposts and barbed-wire fencing, further enhancing security in the border areas.

 

Additional land has now been handed over to BSF, taking the total tally to 142.79 acres,” the Chief Minister said in a social media post. He also shared a district-wise chart detailing the land transferred to the BSF across nine districts. As part of the first phase of the initiative, 43 acre of purchased land across five districts and sanction orders for 31.9 acres of vested land were handed over to the BSF on May 20. The initiative follows a major policy announcement by Adhikari last week outlining a twin-pronged strategy involving accelerated fencing work and stricter administrative measures against illegal immigration. West Bengal shares a 2,217-km border with Bangladesh, the longest among Indian States. According to Adhikari, around 1,600 km of the border in the State has already been fenced, while nearly 600 km remains uncovered.