The West Bengal government has finally transferred land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing, a move that had been stuck in bureaucracy for over a decade.
The BSF will now fence nearly 110 km of land across nine border districts, including 41.9 km in Cooch Behar, 31.8 km in Malda, and 21.5 km in North 24 Parganas.
According to BSF officials, the delay in land transfer had hindered border fencing and helped criminals, with the state government handing over less than 200 km of land in 13 years.
India shares a 4,096.7 km border with Bangladesh, with West Bengal accounting for the longest stretch at 2,216.7 km. While 1,647 km of the border is fenced, topography prevents fencing along approximately 180 km.
BSF officials are also hopeful that the new government will review the posting of police officers at stations along the Indo-Bangladesh border, citing instances of BSF handing over infiltrators who were later found to be Indian nationals.
