India's West Bengal cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has approved the permanent transfer of 54.2 acres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for construction of fencing, outposts and roads along the frontiers with Bangladesh and Nepal.
The decision aims at enhancing the border infrastructure in the strategically sensitive "Chicken's Neck" corridor.
"The cabinet approved proposal for perpetual transfer of 54.2485 acres of government-vested land in different districts [Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Murshidabad, North Dinajpur, Malda] in favour of Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India for various purposes like construction of Border Out Post, Border Fencing, Road, etc," an official statement said on Friday (3 July).
The cabinet decision is a follow-up of its first meeting of the BJP government on 11 May to transfer nearly 600 acres of land to BSF within a 45-day timeline.
Adhikari had at that time said out of the 2,217km border with Bangladesh, around 600km remains unfenced.
The "Chicken's Neck" is strategically vulnerable as it is a barely 22km wide strip of land in West Bengal, serving as the sole link connecting mainland India to eight northeastern Indian states and acting as a key carrier of military logistical support.
The BSF guards the India-Bangladesh border in the region while SSB is responsible for securing the frontier with Nepal.
India
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